Alan & Ellie Jurassic Park
by yvonne
Summary: Story is complete! An indepth prequel to Jurassic Park, involving Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler and the Montana dig site. The story incorporates things from the novels, the movies and the movie scripts. I hope you enjoy it!
1. A Hero In The Night

_Author's Note: _

  


_I've always wanted to write something that involved my two favorite characters from Jurassic Park, and I've finally been able to sit down and do just that. This is a prequel to Jurassic Park, that begins in 1991, when Ellie Sattler first meets Alan Grant. _

  


_It is an in-depth look into their relationship and how it progresses. It will incorporate things from the novels, the films, and several versions of scripts. It will conclude with Hammond's proposal, in 1993, when Hammond asks them to go to that "mysterious" island, that is Jurassic Park._

  


_So I hope you enjoy it. And please, comment and let me know how I'm doing. Comments (either here or through email) are excellent helpers for an inspiring writer, so please don't hesitate to tell me what you think._

  


_Thanks, and now on with the story!_

  


_yvonne_

_yjb@aol.com_

  
  


ALAN & ELLIE

by Yvonne Bartha

  


Chapter 1: A Hero In The Night

  


_May 17, 1991 - Friday_

  


Ellie Sattler was driving on a very dark and narrow road. It was about 10:30pm, and she was trying to be cautious on the dangerously winding road. She was on her way to her new summer place in Northeastern Montana. She had been accepted as one of the new student volunteers, at one of the many dig sites located there, and she was ecstatically happy about it. She was only a thesis away from becoming a Paleobotanist. She planned on getting some field research in this summer and then submitting her thesis, back in California, the following semester. It would be a lot of hard work, being that a thesis was one of the toughest parts of any Ph.D., but she was determined and quite happy with the situation she was able to get herself into. She was expected to be there in two days, but her mother had assisted in getting her an apartment near the dig site, and that's where she was heading now. She wanted to have a few days to get to know her new surroundings, before reporting to the dig site on Monday morning.

She had the driver's side window rolled down, so that she could take in some of the fresh air. Her medium length blonde hair danced around as the night air entered the car. Even at night, on this lonely two-lane highway, she felt as though she belonged. Montana was a very scenic state, full of mountains and beautiful canyons, especially where she was headed, and she was anxious to take in everything the state had to offer. Her mother had tried to talk her out of moving so far away from home, in Georgia, but Ellie had promised that it would only be for the summer.

She was about to slow down and pull over, to look at her map again, when one of her tires on her car gave way, exploding with a loud "pop". Ellie's car sharply veered off to right and headed for the small cliff on the side of the road. She grabbed hold of the steering wheel and yanked it back the other way, but the car continued to go toward the cliff. She never panicked. She just kept pressure on the brakes and on the wheel, until the car slowed down enough for her to regain some control. It skidded to a stop, along the shoulder of the country road. Her body was jerked to the side, as the car stopped moving. She sat in the driver's seat, slightly shaking, as she thought about how close she came to driving off the cliff. It probably would have been considered suicide, she thought to herself.

She opened the car door and stepped outside, to survey the damage. The left rear tire was blown out and pieces of it were scattered all over the road. She walked to the edge of the cliff and reluctantly looked down, instantly regretting it. The sheer drop almost made her dizzy, as it shook her up even more. She walked shakily to the trunk and opened it, looking for the spare. She swore to herself, when she remembered that it was taken out about 2 weeks before. She had needed the extra space in the trunk to transport something for her mother, and she had forgotten to put the tire back. She swore silently again, and closed the trunk, hitting the top of it over and over in frustration.

She got back in the car, and reached over to the passenger seat, where her purse was. She opened her purse, revealing a portable phone. Her uncle was in the electronics business, and had insisted that she take one of his portable phones, if she was set on going to the middle of nowhere. She turned it on and called information. There was some static, but she was able to hear adequately. Information connected her to a local tow truck service station. She requested a tow truck, but couldn't figure out where the hell she was exactly, so the dispatcher told her they would be there when they could. She left the phone on and placed it back into her purse. She left the car accessories on, so that she could leave the headlights of the car on. That way, people could see her on the side of the road. She didn't like the idea of sitting out in the middle of nowhere . . . alone . . . so she turned the radio on, to distract herself.

She was about to give the tow truck place another call, when she saw headlights appear a short distance ahead of her. She smiled and put the phone down. For a precaution, she also casually grabbed the mace can from her purse. She was in the middle of nowhere in the pitch blackness, after all. She got out of the car and began to wave her arms in distress. The headlights become brighter and brighter, as the vehicle got closer. After a few seconds, Ellie could see that the headlights belonged to a truck. The truck slowed down as it approached, and then came to a stop right next to her. Now that she could see the truck clearly, she sighed as she saw that it wasn't the tow truck. She could see a man inside, which caused her to become a little alarmed. The window rolled down. The man had to roll it down by hand.

"What seems to be the problem here?" The man asked.

He had a hint of an Australian accent.

"Oh, well, my car blew a tire."

The man looked over at her car.

"Looks like you nearly ran off the side of the mountain."

Ellie slightly bent down to see the man's face more clearly. He had messy brown hair and was in need of a shave, as he had the beginnings of a beard. Her first impression of him was that he was nice looking, even with the messy appearance. She found herself staring at his mouth as he spoke. She snapped out of it, after realizing what she was doing.

"Yeah. I was frightened for a few minutes there. But I managed to get the car stopped."

"Do you need some help?"

Ellie wasn't sure why she felt so at ease with the stranger, but the plain fact was that she did feel safe.

"Oh, yes. Could you? I don't have a spare tire. I could really use a ride into the next town, if that isn't too much trouble?" 

The man smiled.

"It's no trouble at all. Just get your things and we'll head out," he said.

Ellie turned and went to her car. She put the mace back in her purse and grabbed her portable phone. Then she grabbed one of the bigger bags from the backseat. She put the bag on the ground and closed all of the car doors, locking the car with her car keypad. When she went to pick up the large and heavy bag, the man from the truck appeared next to her, and grabbed the handle of the bag. His sudden appearance startled her and she almost screamed, as she reached her hand into her purse, securing the mace. The man could see that he frightened her, and so he tried to make conversation.

"I'm just trying to help here, so you can relax a little bit, okay? The name's Alan."

Ellie smiled at him. His face seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't place where she might have seen him. She decided to stop thinking about it for right now, as the man continued to look at her, waiting for her introduction.

"Well, pleased to meet you Alan," she said. Then she let the mace can go and pointed at herself, "Ellie."

"Well, welcome to Montana, Ellie," he said, smiling again.

She nodded. He picked up her bag, over-exaggerating its heaviness, and then carried it toward his truck. After putting the bag in the truck bed in the back, he walked around to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door for her. She smiled and got into the truck. As he was walking around to the other side, he began to think about the perfume she was wearing. It was mesmerizing really, and she was a very beautiful woman . . . he noticed that instantly. He opened the driver's side door and got inside, glancing over at her and smiling again.

"So, where are you heading?"

Ellie had no idea. It was then that she remembered the map was sitting in the passenger seat of her car.

"Well, I was on my way to Jordan, but I'm afraid to say I'm a little mixed up as to which direction that might be."

Alan smiled.

"Ah, Jordan. Nice little city. I know where it is."

"Oh, good. About how far, do you have an idea?"

"About another hour, a little bit less. You don't have that much farther to go."

He put the truck in gear and they began to drive away. Ellie didn't know what to do with her car. It probably wouldn't be wise to leave it here, in the middle of nowhere. As she was thinking about what to do, Alan spoke.

"When we get to the next town, you can call for a tow truck. It's only a few miles away."

"Oh, I already did that," she said, holding up her portable phone. "But because I have no idea where I am, I don't think they'll be coming anytime soon."

Alan glanced at the device in her hand. It was very big and clunky looking, making him snicker.

"That thing is a phone?"

Ellie laughed, too.

"Yeah, my uncle made me bring it. And I'm happy that I did now. I'll call the tow truck guy again, if you could tell me where we are."

"Sure."

Ellie dialed the operator again, and was connected to the tow truck dispatcher.

"Holanda Tow Services. Jack speaking."

"Uh, hello, Jack. My name is Ellie Sattler. I called a little earlier . . . about a car with a blown tire?"

Alan continued to drive, as he listened to the conversation. Now he knew her last name.

"Sure, ma'am. I remember you. Did you figure out where you were yet?"

"Very funny. Yes I have the location now."

"Care to share it with me, ma'am?"

Ellie rolled her eyes, and then she looked at Alan.

"Where is it again?"

"Off Highway 59. About 60 miles south of Jordan, off Exit 203."

Ellie nodded and repeated the location to the dispatcher.

"Okay, ma'am. It looks as though I have a truck in the vicinity. He'll be there in about an hour."

"An hour?" Ellie yelled into the phone, "In the vicinity . . . means a damn hour?"

Alan glanced at her while she was screaming, and then brought his attention back to the dark road ahead. He found her to be very outspoken, and he admired her for that. She was not only beautiful, but she seemed to be able to take care of herself.

"Whoa, ma'am, look, don't start swearing at the messenger. An hour is the best that I can do. Would you rather he didn't show up at all?"

"Of course not," she said into the phone, somewhat calmer than the previous outburst.

"Okay, good. Then he'll be there in an hour, ma'am."

"Fine."

Ellie turned the phone off and stewed in the truck for a few seconds, before blurting out how she felt about the situation.

"If that damn guy ma'am's me, one more time, I'll track him down and punch him."

Alan chuckled and Ellie looked at him.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not about to call you ma'am," he stated.

She laughed.

"Well, thanks for that."

"You're welcome," he said, and then he changed the subject, "So, since the tow truck will be here soon, why don't I just take you to the nearest town and treat you to a late dinner?"

Ellie wanted to accept the invitation immediately, but she let the question linger in the air for a bit, before she responded.

"Sure. Only it's not necessary to buy me dinner."

"I insist."

Ellie decided to let him have his way for the time being.

"Okay, then."

"Good, it's settled," he said, smiling.

He glanced at her a few times, while talking with her, but now he paid attention to the winding road outstretched in front of him. He couldn't seem to stop thinking about how beautiful and vibrant she was. He hadn't really thought about a woman, since his wife had passed away a few years ago. He found himself wanting to know more about this particular woman, whom he found on the side of the road.

He drove the truck several miles down the road and pulled into a small roadside diner. Ellie looked at the rickety old building.

"This place is open?"

Alan smiled.

"Yeah, I think so. Everything around here kind of looks old and run down."

Ellie looked at him and spoke before she even thought about what she was saying.

"Not everything is old and run down."

Feeling completely stupid, she turned away from him, opened the truck door and got out. Alan sat there for a minute smiling, and then he opened the driver's door and followed her toward the building. He jogged up past her and opened the aging door. She nodded and smiled uneasily, and then went through the door.

As she went inside, she took in the environment. It was very casual, with a few people sitting in the small room. There were only about 7 booths and a bar toward the back, complete with about 10 bar stools. It looked as though there was just one waitress, which was adequate for a place of this size. It was somewhat run down, but it had a very nice homey feeling to it. She felt comfortable there, that was for sure. Alan walked toward one of the booths. When he found the one he wanted, he gestured for her to sit down. 

She nodded again, as he played the gentleman part and waited for her to sit down first. He really was a very nice man, she kept thinking to herself. Whenever he would look away, she would stare at the features on his face, trying to decide how old he might be. She thought about asking him directly, but then decided she would just wait until another time.

"So, what kind of food do you like?"

"Oh, a lot of different things really. I'm not all that fussy."

Alan nodded and a few seconds later the waitress was at their table.

"What can I get for you two?"

Alan looked at Ellie, so she ordered first.

"I'll have a cheeseburger and fries, please."

The waitress nodded, but didn't write it down. She was one of those people who didn't have to write things down.

"And what to drink?"

"Some iced tea, please."

The waitress nodded, indicating she got the order, then she looked at Alan.

"And for you, sir?"

"Same," he said.

The waitress walked away and began to yell the order to the kitchen.

"Nice place here," Ellie said, looking around.

Alan looked around, too.

"Yeah, pretty nice. I've never been here before. I hope the food is good . . . so you don't hold it against me."

"Don't worry, I won't," Ellie said smiling at him.

She found herself smiling at him quite often and she told herself she needed to stop that, before he thought she was some crazy person.

Alan had been thinking about how much she smiled at him, too. He didn't find it crazy, though. He rather enjoyed it. There was something about Ellie that made him very comfortable, as well. He was beginning to feel like he might be able to talk to her for hours in this little dump.

They continued to talk about mostly nothing, and then the food came. They quickly ate, and then Alan went to the payphone to check on the progress of the tow truck. When he came back to the table, Ellie was getting money out.

"There's no need for that. Really. I told you I wanted to treat you to dinner."

"Oh, well, it's okay. I wouldn't feel right having you pay."

"It would be my pleasure," he said, staring into her eyes.

Ellie didn't say anything for a second, as she just stared back. Alan broke the silence.

"Besides, it would allow me to properly greet you into town. How's that?"

"Okay, then," she said, putting her money away, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Ellie changed the subject.

"So, did they get to my car yet?"

He was still staring into her eyes. When he heard the question, it took him a minute for it to register.

"Oh . . . uh, yeah. They found the car. He said they were fixing it right now."

"We should be heading back then," Ellie said.

Alan nodded in agreement. He went to the register and paid for the meal, and then he walked her outside. She quickly got in the truck and he did the same. They began to drive back the way they came.

"Can I at least give you some money for gas?"

"Nope."

"You're a very difficult man," she joked.

"I've been told that before."

"I bet you have," she countered.

Alan playfully slapped the dashboard.

"And I thought my people skills were improving," he said. Then looking at her, "Guess I was wrong."

She laughed at him. She enjoyed his company and she was getting disappointed, now that they were getting close to where her car was. Soon, they would depart and go their separate ways.

"Well, maybe someone just needs to work closer with you, in regards to those people skills of yours."

"Yeah, possibly," he said, watching the road and Ellie at the same time.

Ellie noticed that he was looking at something ahead of them. She looked that way, too, and saw the tow truck lights flashing. Alan drove about another mile and then slowed the truck down, as they grew closer. A few seconds later he stopped the truck, put it into park, and looked at Ellie.

"Well, it looks as though they fixed it already."

"Yeah," Ellie said, disappointed.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing."

Ellie opened the passenger's side door and got out of the truck, putting a cease to Alan's questions. She walked up to her car. The tow truck driver was still messing with something near the rear of the car.

"How's it coming along?" She asked, as she approached him.

The tow truck driver was hunched over, looking at something on the back of the car. Ellie startled him, causing him to jump to his feet quickly. His sudden movements startled Ellie in return, causing her to take several steps backward.

Alan was still in his truck, just waiting for her to get back into her car and drive away safely. When he saw her defensive movements, he quickly got out and headed toward her. He could hear her verbally disagreeing with the man, as she continued to shake her head in defiance. He reached Ellie and then walked past her.

"Everything all right?" He asked.

The tow truck driver looked up in a rush, as if the sudden presence of someone else was in no way possible.

"No, everything is NOT all right. The lady owes me money and she won't pay."

Just from uttering the first few syllables, Alan could tell the man was drunk. Very drunk. In fact, it surprised him that the man could even drive.

"I'm sure she's going to pay you . . . ," Alan looked at the name tag sewn into the man's shirt, "Raymond."

Ellie was happy to see that Alan hadn't driven off yet. It was well past midnight now, and being alone with this man on a deserted highway was certain trouble. She looked at Alan.

"He wants five hundred bucks. Or he says he'll flatten the new tire."

"Five hundred dollars?" Alan said, sort of laughing. He looked at Raymond, pulling some money out of his own pocket, "How about 30 dollars, Raymond? That's fair."

Raymond shook his head.

"I don't think so, mister."

Alan noticed the man had a crowbar in his hand and it made him a little uneasy. He backed off and joined Ellie, who was still keeping her distance. Raymond moved closer to them.

"If the lady doesn't have the money, she could pay it off in another way," Raymond slurred.

Ellie couldn't believe what the man just said. Alan became understandably angry.

"Raymond, I think you should quit while you're ahead."

"How am I ahead, mister? I haven't been paid. Now if she comes home with me, then . . . then I'll be ahead," Raymond said, snickering and still holding the crowbar.

"Well, I can tell you this much. She's not going anywhere with you."

"Mister, you want me to beat you to death with this thing?" Raymond stated gesturing to his crowbar.

Ellie already had a bad feeling about the situation, even before Raymond started to threaten people. She grabbed Alan's hand and pulled him away from Raymond.

"Let's just get back in your truck, okay?"

As Alan looked toward her, just for that second, Raymond made his move. He stepped forward, swinging the crowbar toward Alan. Ellie could see the whole thing. She screamed and pulled Alan toward her. The crowbar missed him and smashed into the backseat side window, causing glass to fly everywhere.

Alan rushed toward the drunk man, but wasn't able to do anything to him. Ellie was already doing something. She sprayed Raymond with her mace. They watched him grab for his eyes, lose his footing, trip over his own feet, knock himself out on Ellie's car door, and then fall to the pavement hard. Ellie was beside herself, as she tried to take everything in that had just happened.

"Holy shit! Are you okay!?" Ellie yelled from behind Alan.

"I'm fine," Alan said, looking at Raymond's unconscious body, and then glancing over at Ellie and her mace can.

"That damn guy tried to kill you!" She yelled.

"He's just drunk," Alan said, still trying to comprehend what had happened.

"Yeah, but he was a drunk with a damn crowbar."

"Where did you get that?" He asked, gesturing toward Ellie's mace can.

"I carry it with me for protection."

"Well, it certainly came in handy."

"Yeah," Ellie said, and then she snickered, "And to think, I was toying with the idea of using it on you when you first pulled up."

"Remind me to never upset you," he stated.

Ellie laughed. Alan smiled and then surveyed the damage to her car.

"The bastard broke your window."

"Better than your head," Ellie offered.

Alan looked at her. She still couldn't believe what had just transpired. She was full of energy and quite alert.

"Holy shit," she repeated, much softer than before.

They stood in the road, uncertain of what to do next. Ellie finally made the first move.

"Well, let's get him back in his tow truck at least. I'll call them and let them know where he is."

Alan nodded. Together, they were able to get Raymond back into his truck. Alan slammed the door of the tow truck and Ellie could hear the door hit Raymond in the head. She figured he did it on purpose, but didn't question him. She only snickered. Alan looked at her, laughing a little bit himself.

"You going to be okay driving that car?"

"Oh, yeah. No worries," she said in her best fake Australian accent.

"Was that some sort of Australian joke?"

"Uh, no."

"Good, because it was awful."

She laughed.

"Note to self. No more Australian humor."

After she achieved the desired response from him, she opened her car door and got inside, careful to check for glass that might have flown into the front seat. He closed the door for her and then leaned down to talk to her.

"I guess that's it then," he stated.

"Thank you very much for all your help . . . and dinner."

"You're welcome, Ellie."

She really liked how he said her name. She didn't want to just let him drive away, possibly never seeing him again.

"Perhaps we'll meet again," she said.

"Yes. I would like that."

Ellie went for it.

"Could I call you sometime, maybe?"

Alan took the bait and happily went along.

"Sure. Hold on, I'll write my number down for you."

Ellie opened her glove compartment.

"Here. Here's some paper and a pen."

He smiled and took the paper and pen from her, quickly scribbled a number on the paper, and handed it back to her. She didn't read it. She just put it in her pocket and thanked him. He nodded and walked toward his truck. Ellie started her car and put it into gear. She slowly drove toward his truck, where he was just getting in. He looked at her.

"If I'm ever attacked by an over-priced, drunk, crowbar-wielding madman again . . . I'll give you a call, okay?"

He laughed. She really liked his laugh and she found herself staring at his lips again, as he spoke. Now she wished she had figured out how to get a good-bye kiss from the endearing stranger.

"Okay, that's a deal. Hope to hear from you soon," he answered.

"Sooner than you might think actually. Which way to Jordan again?"

He pointed to the north.

"Okay, got it. Thanks again, Alan."

"It was no trouble. Well, not much trouble anyway."

He started his truck and began to drive away. He held his arm out of the rolled down window and waved at her. She waved back and began to drive her car down the two-lane highway, in the opposite direction.

  



	2. First Day On The Job

Chapter 2: First Day On The Job

_May 20, 1991 - Monday_

  


All of the students, undergraduate and graduate alike, stood in a designated section, under a large tent. They were going to meet the resident paleontologist in just a few short minutes and Ellie was anxious to ask him a million questions. A man walked under the tent and addressed them all.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Rob Tandy and I'm the resident computer specialist, the resident technical advisor, and all around resident good guy."

This speech got a chuckle from the students. It was well rehearsed, of course, since Rob had said the exact same thing to a variety of groups visiting the dig site. But he always smiled when his little joke made the people smile.

"I'd like to introduce you all to the paleontologist, but at the moment . . . he's not available. Besides, I'm better looking and more of a pleasure to look at, anyway."

This got another chuckle from the students. Rob was 29 years old and had been born and raised in Montana. He had a very nice build, standing at 6'2" and 180 pounds. His dark brown hair was cut fairly short, with several strands moving about in the wind. He continued.

"I'll be initially showing you around, until Dr. Grant is available. So if you will all come with me, we'll get the tour started."

Everyone began to follow Rob. Everyone except for Ellie. She stood there thinking about the name Rob had spoken. Grant. Of course! Alan Grant, the paleontologist. She couldn't believe she was so absent minded, not figuring that out before. She had heard of him through her studies and still couldn't believe she didn't put it all together. It must have been the almost fatal accident she had. Or maybe it was because he was so good looking, she smiled to herself, as that amusing thought went through her mind. What an eerie coincidence, meeting up with one of the instructors at the dig site she was heading to. Well, not eerie . . . but definitely right up there with strange. She finally forced herself to walk and catch up with the rest of the students. Another student noticed her strange behavior.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. I was just thrown off by something. It's no big deal."

The woman smiled. She was a dark-haired woman, looked to be in her mid twenties, and was very tanned and fit. She had a real confidence about her.

"I'm Allison Dover. Second year, undergraduate."

"Well, hi there. I'm Ellie Sattler. Graduate student, trying to find the time to complete my thesis and become a Paleobotanist."

"Wow, you look very young to be so far along already."

"I'm 24," Ellie said, "I've been at this for several years now."

"I'm 29 and getting started a little late, I guess. But I'm hoping that won't stop me from going far in the field," Allison said.

"I'm sure it won't. It's all about how prepared you are, not about your age. What field are you studying?"

"Palaeobiology. I thought I'd get a look at a real dig site, to see if this is really what I want to do before I get too far along. It's absolutely wonderful, so far."

"Yes. I agree. The environment here is fantastic. It's like an extended family. I hope I will be able to fit in with everyone," Ellie added.

"I'm sure you will, don't worry too much about it. I think we'll do great here," Allison said.

Ellie nodded in agreement. She about to say something else, when her attention was diverted by a man walking toward them from the right. The man was definitely someone she had seen before. She began to smile shyly to herself, even before Rob's introductions.

"Oh, here we are. Your guide has arrived. I'd like to introduce you all to one of Montana's leading most foremost paleontologists, Dr. Alan Grant."

Alan put up a hand, as he neared Rob. He placed it on Rob's shoulder.

"Mr. Tandy. Thank you for that . . . introduction. May I remind you, sir, that we still don't have the funds to pay you, so you might as well stop the praise."

This got a chuckle out of the students, as well. Ellie was mesmerized by his every word, as he stood very close to where she was. He was much neater and cleaner now and he was sporting a beaten-up fedora. He was wearing khaki pants and a red button-down shirt, as well as dusty work boots and sunglasses. He hadn't seen her in the crowd of students yet, and for some reason, she wanted to hide. She watched him take a folder from Rob.

"Okay, well, now that you know who I am, I would like to get to know you. So when I call your name, give a holler and tell us a little about yourself."

He waited for everyone to nod, and then he continued.

"Good, good. Here we go," he said, looking down at the roster. "David Arnold."

A man near the back raised his hand. He was short, about 5'4", with light brown hair. Alan motioned for him to talk, and so he did.

"Uh, hi. People call me Dave. I'm 20 years old. I'm thinking about going into the paleontology field, and so I thought I'd come to see what a dig site was like."

Alan nodded.

"Very good, Dave. Pleased to meet you and glad you decided to join our little team," he said.

Dave smiled and nodded. Alan looked for the next name on the roster.

"Gregory Diamond."

A very tall young man with short black hair raised a hand and said a little about himself. Then he asked Alan a question.

"Dr. Grant, how much money does it take to keep this place running for a month?"

"Well, Mr. Diamond, that is confidential."

"Why is that? Isn't this a public place?"

"No. It's a privately funded expedition."

"Why not just tell us."

Alan was getting a little angry toward this outspoken man. This was a sore spot for Alan, as he was always the one being blamed for the rising costs. He was always and forever defending his every move, and now this newcomer was questioning him. He didn't feel he had the right.

"If you're here long enough, more than just the summer, then maybe you'll find that sort of information out for yourself. But for now, I'm afraid you're going to stay in the dark."

Greg frowned, clearly not satisfied with the answer, but he relented. Alan went to the next name.

"Allison Dover."

Allison was standing right next to Ellie. She raised her hand. Alan looked in her direction and spotted Ellie. He smiled and then looked at Allison.

"Care to share any thoughts with us, Ms. Dover?"

"Sure. You can call me Allison, first of all. I'm 29 and I'm preparing for a degree in Palaeobiology. Much like Dave, over there, I'm here just to get a feel for what it's like to dig up prehistoric things for a living."

Alan smiled, and then caught another glance at Ellie, smiling even more. Then he cleared his throat and went to the next name. 

He went through all the names on the list, except for two. He looked down on the roster and said the second to last person's name aloud.

"Ellie Sattler," he said, looking at her.

She raised her hand, and took a few steps away from Allison.

"Hi there. I'm Ellie. I'm from Georgia and I'm working towards a degree in Paleobotany. I'm here to get some information for my thesis."

Alan stared at her. He just stared without saying anything. And then suddenly he snapped out of it.

"Sounds like you have everything well planned out, Ms. Sattler."

"Oh, please, call me Ellie."

"Very well, Ellie."

Ellie smiled at him. This man whom she met only a few nights ago. She already felt as though she had known him longer. She made an effort to look around, noticing that people near her were staring at her. Clearing her throat, she resumed her place next to Allison.

Alan took the queue and looked back at the paper in his hand. There was only one name left. His mind was suddenly taken elsewhere when he read the name to himself.

"Logan Valner," he finally said.

"Yes, sir, Dr. Grant. I'm Logan. Logan Valner. I'm 17 and I'm going to be a senior in high school this year, sir. I'm from Iowa and I'm very happy to be here and I'm very happy that you picked me, sir."

Alan slightly laughed.

"Well, first of all, you don't have to call me sir. Dr. Grant will be fine. And welcome to Montana."

"Thank you, s--, I mean Dr. Grant," Logan stuttered.

Alan stared at the young man for a few seconds. Rob was picking up on Alan's strange behavior now, too. He moved a little closer to the group, and then stopped as Alan began to talk again.

"By any chance, are you related to a Thomas Valner, of Colorado?"

"Uh, no . . . I don't believe so."

Alan shrugged and then directed his attention toward the group as a whole.

"Okay, well there you have it. Now that we all know each other, we can begin the process of getting to work. I'm going to explain several things to you all, but first I need to check on something, so I'll be right back," Alan said, as he turned to leave.

Rob was left there, alone with the students. He looked at them.

"Okay, then. I guess we'll take a little break. I suggest everyone come right back here in ten minutes, complete with notebooks. This is the part when Dr. Grant explains the details and the technicalities of what goes on here. So see you all in ten."

Rob waited for the small crowd to disperse, and then he went in the direction Alan had gone. He caught up to him in about a minute or so, as he watched him go into one of the trailers. He went inside.

"Uh, Alan?"

Alan was looking through a file cabinet that was up against the wall on the far right. He looked up at Rob, as he called his name.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm just looking something up. I'll be right out."

Rob took a few steps closer, slightly amused at his old friend's behavior.

"What are you looking for, my friend?"

"That Logan kid. I think he's related to someone I know. I mean someone that I knew."

"You need to know right this minute?"

Alan stopped looking long enough to think about what he was doing. Rob continued.

"You were right smack in the middle of orientation there, Alan."

"Well, that's going to have to wait. I need to know about that kid."

"Why is it so important, if you don't mind me asking?"

Alan looked at him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to relay the reason to him, but he did anyway. Eventually, he knew that if Rob thought about it, he'd figure it out on his own.

"I think he might be related to . . .," Alan stopped, as he suddenly didn't want to say the name out loud.

As Rob thought about the kid's name, it hit him. Valner was the maiden name of Alan's deceased wife, Kathryn. She had passed away a few years ago, from Cancer. And Robert Valner was her father, if he was remembering correctly. Alan didn't talk about her much these days, but Rob had been friends with them both for quite a few years and that's how he knew her maiden name.

"Kathryn?" Rob asked.

Alan nodded.

"Yeah."

Alan finally found what he was looking for. In this particular filing cabinet, the names of everyone who had ever volunteered at the dig site were there. Alan began to reminisce.

Kathryn had filled one out when she had talked Alan into letting her do little jobs at the dig site. He remembered the day she had filled it out very clearly. He had handed her the pack of papers and she had laughed at him, thinking he had been joking. Only he hadn't been joking, as he was always doing things by the book. She had filled the papers out and later that evening, they had gotten into quite a fight about it. They had made up though, before going to sleep and all was well with the world. Fighting was always bad, but the making up part more than made up for it. One of Kathryn's favorite sayings was "never go to bed angry", and so they never did.

Alan came back to the present, and began to thumb through the folders until he came upon "V". He removed Kathryn Valner's folder and began to go through it. In the back of his mind, Alan wondered why he had never re-filed the folder under "G", for Kathryn Grant. Rob was next to him by now, reading it over, as well.

"So, is he?"

The answers had all been carefully handwritten by Kathryn. Alan simply put a finger over the top of the handwriting, wishing he could somehow communicate with her. Then he began to read some of it, causing him to frown. Each file had various facts about that person, but there was no mention of a Logan in the file. There was a Lucas Valner, who was supposedly one of Kathryn's cousins. That must have been what Alan was thinking of, since the names were sort of similar.

"No, I guess not. There's a Lucas, not a Logan. My mistake."

Rob put a hand on his shoulder.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Alan. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Alan nodded, but was still a little upset with himself for getting so emotional toward the situation. The fact remained that he still missed Kathryn very much. She had passed away almost 3 years ago now, and he still longed to talk to her. To laugh with her. Even getting into an argument with her sounded good to Alan, at this point. He just wanted her back.

"Thanks, Rob."

Alan was about to put the folder back, when he decided to change the last name on the folder. He grabbed a pen, scratched out Valner and wrote in Grant. Then he filed the folder in with the "G's". Alan just stood there next to the cabinet, almost in a trance like state. Rob cleared his throat, causing Alan to glance in his direction.

"Uh, you ready to face the worker ants?"

This made Alan laugh. Rob was always coming up with new and interesting names for the new volunteers. This was a new one, as far as Alan could remember.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go."

Alan made his way back to the meeting point, where the students were already gathered. He tucked the thoughts of Kathryn into the back of his mind and put on a smile.

"Sorry about that folks. Now where were we?"

Logan answered.

"You were going to explain some things to us."

"Oh, yes. Okay, well first of all, if and when you find something that you think might be a prehistoric bone, just call one of the instructors over. Those people would be either myself, Rob, " Alan pointed at Rob, "or two others that are not here right now. Dr. Frederick Harper, our paleobotantist. Or Dr. Carl Porter, our geologist."

Alan looked to make sure everyone was paying attention. They were. All of them were writing down the information quickly.

"So to repeat. Find something worthwhile. Find Dr. Grant, Dr. Harper, Dr. Porter, or Mr. Tandy."

"I'm the only one with no scientific title. I feel left out," Rob complained.

This got another laugh from the group. Rob was always well liked by the volunteers.

"All I can suggest is that you get your lazy self back to school, mate."

"Point well taken, DOCTOR Grant," Rob said, smiling and nodding.

After the group quieted down from laughing, Alan continued.

"Fossils are the remains or traces of ancient life. Fossils can be mineralized bones, teeth, shells, wood, or actual unaltered material from an organism, like frozen mammoth flesh, bones and fur. Eggs, nests, footprints, leaf impressions, burrows, and feces are examples of trace fossils. One thing all fossils have in common, they are at least 10,000 years old."

He paused to let everyone write. When most everyone was looking up at him again, he continued.

"And now onto the tools of the trade. Fossil finding tools are neither fancy, nor expensive," Alan said, as he walked over to one of the digging areas. He pointed to the tools, scattered on the ground. "Shown here are typical tools for a paleontologist in the field. A butter knife and a toothbrush may be all you need."

The area had various other tools scattered about; a rock hammer, a couple chisels, dust brushes, a few magnifying glasses, some newspaper (to wrap the fossils in), and finally, a small journal.

"And don't forget dental picks, camel-hair brushes, and the fanciest tool of them all . . . the spoon," Rob added.

"My God, it seems you do pay attention a little, now doesn't it?" Alan teased.

This got another laugh from the students and a slight chuckle from Rob. Alan noticed the students trying to write and look at the same time, so he slowed down some.

"Okay, why don't you all take a closer look at this particular digging area."

The students gathered around the area, some of them kneeling down, some of them just leaning over. Ellie was the first one to kneel down and start to handle some of the tools. She looked up.

"Dr. Grant, what are some of the methods used to identify a fossil?"

"Good question. You want to look for unusual shapes, textures, and coloration. Objects that are clearly different from the rock around them."

Ellie nodded and stood up, brushing the dust from herself.

"How long is a typical workday?" Allison asked.

"Well, I'd say about four hours for each shift. It gets very hot here, so it's wise to search in shifts."

"We don't want any of you wonderful volunteers to fall down from heat stroke," Rob added.

Allison nodded and smiled, while Alan lost of train of thought for a second.

"Where was I?" He asked Rob.

"Don't ask me. I stopped listening to you about 2 years ago," Rob stated.

After another chuckle from the students, Alan continued.

"Oh, yes. Okay, you are all going to be allowed to roam around, to get a feel for the place. Please try not to disturb any of the existing areas, as they belong to the other instructors. Tomorrow morning, we'll begin searching in a few new places that I have mapped out. There are about ten volunteers running around here, too. Most of which have been here for quite some time, so feel free to take a look around and ask any questions that you may have."

The group began to spread out, going in a couple of different directions. Ellie and Allison stayed together, with one of the other students, Greg, following behind them. Greg was talking to the women, but Ellie was pretty much ignoring both of them, as she kept her eye on where that certain scientist was heading. She watched him shake hands with Rob and then he jogged toward one of the trailers. The trailer seemed to be the biggest on the site. She was still looking in that direction, when her attention was diverted by Allison.

"What do you think, Ellie?" She asked.

Ellie looked at Allison and Greg. She saw that they were both staring at her, waiting for some kind of an answer.

"What do I think about what?"

Allison laughed.

"Pay attention, will ya?"

"I'm sorry, I have a slight headache, that's all," Ellie said, totally lying.

"We were wondering how much money it would cost to fund a place like this for a month," Greg answered.

"I have no idea," Ellie answered.

"Well, I think it's probably a lot. And I don't even think this much equipment is even needed for this. It looks like there's a lot of waste."

Ellie suddenly became irate at this young man. What did he know about the amount of money and effort that went into running a dig site. Nothing, she figured.

"What would you know about it? You're just an amateur, like the rest of us," she shot back at him.

"Any amateur can see that this place is big money."

"Oh, shut up, will you?" Ellie said.

Greg waved her off and began to walk away from them. Ellie didn't really care for him, for some reason, so she was glad he decided to move on. She waited for him to get ahead, and then she began to walk again. Allison was still next to her.

"What was that all about?"

"I don't know. I just don't like that guy." Ellie said, realizing that her anger toward Greg was just a defensive move, since he had been questioning Alan's decisions earlier.

"Well, that's obvious," Allison said, laughing.

  


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Ellie was slightly disappointed that she wasn't able to catch another glimpse of Alan the rest of the day. He had stayed away from the students and volunteers. When 4:00pm rolled around, Rob came out and called a dinner break. Allison and Ellie had become fast friends and had decided to leave the dig site to get something to eat. Logan came along, as well.

They pulled up to a diner close by and they all got out of Ellie's car.

"So what do you think of this place? I mean Montana, in general." Allison asked, as they approached the door of the small diner.

"I think I'm going to love it here."

"Yeah, me, too," Logan spoke up, "It's been my dream for a few years to be on an active dig site. And with Alan Grant. You can't ask for a better expert. I still can't believe he talked to me."

Allison laughed.

"He's not a God, you know," she said.

Ellie didn't respond, as she kept on thinking about Alan. How he had been there for her when she needed him. And how he was very gentlemanly. And how he seemed to be attracted to her. And how intelligent he was. She came out of her daydream and realized that they were already sitting down at a table. The waitress was staring at her, obviously waiting for her to give her order.

"I'll have a grilled cheese sandwich, please," she said.

The waitress nodded and walked away. Logan and Allison looked at her strangely.

"You okay, Ellie?" Allison asked.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired. I didn't get much sleep last night. I guess I was too excited about today."

Logan took a sip of his soda.

"I didn't sleep at all. I've been supercharged for days now."

Ellie smiled.

"You need to relax some, Logan. You're young, but you're not invincible," Ellie commented.

"Yes, Mother," he teased.

"So, where is everyone staying?" Allison asked.

Logan was the first to answer.

"I'm staying at a ranch with some family friends."

"I have an apartment in Jordan," Ellie answered.

Allison nodded and then added her own information.

"I haven't found a suitable place yet. I was just planning on staying onsite, in a tent or something. I've already got approval from Dr. Grant and Dr. Porter to do that."

"Is that really what you want?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah, for now it is anyway. It'll be interesting living with nature."

Ellie nodded, but she couldn't imagine wanting to do that. She didn't mind volunteering there. That part sounded fun. But it was in her to need some privacy away from the job, every once in a while. That's where the apartment came in. She was really happy that her mother was able to find it.

When they were finished eating, they returned to the dig site. It had grown terribly windy in just that one half an hour they were away. Rob told them to go home and come back bright and early in the morning. On the drive home, Ellie could think of nothing but Alan. She was sort of angry with herself, as she wasn't able to concentrate on paleobotany at the moment, which is what she was here to do. She smiled to herself, as she drove herself home, thinking about coming back the next day.

  



	3. Chapter 3: Student Debating

  


Chapter 3: Student Debating

  


_May 24, 1991 - Friday_

  
  


Sleeping very soundly, Ellie slowly began to distinguish the sound of the alarm going off. She opened her eyes and searched for the alarm clock, as she wasn't quite used to where things were in her new apartment yet. In seconds, she spotted it and turned it off. It was 5:30am. She really didn't need to get up that early, but she wanted to make sure she had enough time to eat breakfast. Eating something in the morning would give her enough energy in the day to stay focused. She wasn't sure why such an easy concept escaped her, but she was very glad that Allison had pointed it out.

She took a quick shower, got dressed, and then headed straight for the kitchen. She turned on the coffee pot and made herself some French Toast. During the quick meal, she spent some time looking at her local map of Montana, trying to find different routes to the dig site. After two cups of coffee and an empty plate, she decided to get a move on. She walked into the living room area and put on her work boots.

Glancing at the top of the television, she noticed a piece of paper. The same paper that she placed on the television every night since she had been there. It was Alan's phone number. She hadn't called him yet, thinking that would be very awkward, so she just kept it, hoping the timing would be right at some point.

She tucked the piece of paper in a pocket and headed for the front door. The plan was to meet Allison and Logan at the dig site at 6:30am, and then go on from there. She and Allison had taken a liking to the young Logan and his endless enthusiasm. The three of them had been sticking together for the whole week and had planned on doing the same thing today.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


The afternoon sun was blazing down upon the hard-working people, causing Alan to call for a break in the action. The students and volunteers were starting to work very well together, now that it was the end of the first week. Everyone was getting to know each other and various friendships were being made. 

In order to let people rest for a little bit, Alan had led everyone under a tent and had initiated a conversation. At first, Alan and Dr. Harper were at the center of attention, talking mostly with the students, trying to get their minds working. It was one of many talks about different view points of what the study of paleontology means. At this moment in time, the students were having a debate of their own. To Alan's happiness, Ellie was right in the middle of it. She was a very intelligent person and was very, very knowledgeable in a great many things.

"Well, cold-blooded crocodiles, raised under very warm conditions, also show rapid bone growth. Dinosaur growth may have had more to do with climate, than with internal thermal regulation," Ellie countered.

The two students were debating a topic that had been debated for years and years. Endothermy vs. ectothermy. Warm-blooded vs. cold-blooded dinosaurs. Ellie was coming down on the cold-blooded side of the issue. The student debating with her was none other than Greg Diamond. Alan didn't like that kid very much for various reasons, and he was secretly hoping that Ellie would be able to shut him up. The debate went on.

"How can you explain the vertical triangular plates on the Stegosaurus? Or the sail-like fins on the Dimetrodon or the Spinosaurus? These things were used to radiate away excess body heat, which suggests warm-bloodedness," Greg asked.

"They could have been used for mating and dominance rituals. Maybe even protection and/or interspecies rivalry. The fact is, we just don't know what these plates and fins were used for," Ellie stated.

All eyes fell on Greg, who was getting tired of being upstaged by a female.

"Well, what about the fossils that have been found in the Arctic and Antarctic regions? Cold-blooded creatures, such as crocodiles, could not cope with such low temperatures today. The polar dinosaurs had to be warm-blooded to endure the challenging climate," Greg retaliated.

"I never said there wasn't proof of some warm-blooded creatures," Ellie pointed out.

"Well, there's absolutely no proof that they were cold-blooded," Greg said in a confident manner, "All of the evidence points to warm-bloodedness."

This is where Alan stepped in, to offer some of his own final thoughts before lunch.

"Perhaps both cold- and warm-blooded dinosaurs existed. Or maybe they were intermediate between the cold- and warm-blooded extremes. The large dinosaurs may also have maintained a nearly constant body temperature by mass or inertia homeothermy. In this view, their bulk provided a large reservoir of heat. In other words, they may have kept warm simply by being large," he explained.

Greg didn't like the fact that he seemed to be siding with the female, who obviously knew nothing.

"Name a species as a proving point," he challenged.

"Large saltwater crocodiles of northern Australia. Although cold-blooded, their internal temperature has been measured to stay within a two-degree Celsius range, day or night."

Greg was about to try and protest, by saying just about anything at this point. He hated to be out-debated. But Dr. Harper interrupted.

"Okay, I think we've had enough discussion for now. Let's get back to digging and exploring, shall we?"

"Actually, Dr. Harper, I think it's time for lunch," Rob spoke up.

"Very well, then. Carry on," Harper said.

Alan and Harper stayed behind and watched everyone leave. When they were gone, Harper looked at him.

"What's that young man's name? The one debating with Ms. Sattler?"

"Oh, that one. That's Greg Diamond. His personality hasn't developed past elementary school yet."

"I will have to agree with that statement. He's not very likable."

Frederick Harper was a 67-year-old man, who had spent most of his adult life in various universities around the country. He was retired from teaching now, but still insisted on fulfilling his position at the dig site during the summer months. He was clean shaven and his hair was almost completely gray, with a few darker strands here and there. Alan actually had the opportunity to take a paleobotany course with him, years before. When he was looking for intelligent and qualified people to help out in Montana, Dr. Harper was the first person he had asked.

"Well, it's just for the summer. Hopefully, we can put up with him for that short amount of time and then he'll move on."

"Like most of them do," Harper added.

"Yes, they do come and go rather quickly," Alan agreed.

Harper looked around to make sure everyone was gone.

"Did Mr. Hammond's check come?"

"Yes. Yes, it did," Alan quickly answered, "This morning. I was getting worried myself."

"It's certainly not like him to wait this long, that's for sure."

John Hammond was a couple of years younger than Dr. Harper and was Alan's main investor. The Hammond Foundation had been sending him a check for thirty thousand dollars a year for the last three years. Alan had never gotten the chance to meet Hammond in person, but he had talked with him on the phone on several occasions. Hammond seemed nice enough, as he appeared to just have a boy's fascination with dinosaurs. Alan never questioned too closely, why Hammond chose to fund his digs. He just really appreciated the funding, so he was very pleasant with Hammond during each phone conversation, answering his every question patiently. A few years back, on the insistence of Kathryn, Alan had agreed to write a paper for Hammond on the dietary habits of juvenile dinosaurs for a hefty fee. At least it was hefty in Alan and Kathryn's point of view. Fifty thousand dollars. After Hammond's lawyer continued to hound him on the phone, at all hours of the night and day, Alan had called the deal off. After a quick negotiation, he had settled for twelve thousand and the promise of no more phone calls. Now things were more peaceful, and he was allowed to go about the business of digging up dinosaurs for a living without distractions.

"He didn't even send the traditional letter, wishing us success and good fortune," Alan said.

"He must be a very busy man," Harper guessed.

Alan nodded in agreement, and then thought of something else to ask his associate.

"Did we get a delivery date on that hauler?"

"I'm not for certain. You'll have to ask Rob about that."

"Okay. Well, I'm going to get something to eat. I'll talk to you later."

"I'm going to begin cataloging some of the more significant finds that we've had, so far."

Alan had already turned toward his trailer. When Harper had mentioned something about significant finds, he turned around again.

"You've already collected some good stuff?"

"Yeah. A few things, here and there. Some of the students have been finding things on the East Hill, Horizon 1," Harper said, smiling.

"That's great, Fred."

"With some luck and good timing, I'm hoping to surpass last year's collection of discoveries," Harper commented.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4: A New Discovery

  


Chapter 4: A New Discovery

  


_May 29, 1991 - Wednesday_

  


Alan's presence had been requested on the East Hill, Horizon 1, of the dig site. It seemed that a couple of students had uncovered a possible new discovery for the team, in the way of a plant. He reached the correct location and found Allison and Ellie standing next to some rocks and staring at the ground. Secretly, he was very happy that it was these two students, who might have found something substantial. They were very knowledgeable people and were very hard working. Logan was usually with them, though, and there were no signs of the boy. He would try and ask about that later.

"Rumor has it that something good may have been discovered here," he said.

Hearing his voice, Ellie looked up and smiled.

"I'm hoping the rumors are true," she said.

Alan smiled back, and then knelt down to investigate the discovery. After a few moments of silence, he finally stood up. Ellie and Allison looked at him with great anticipation. He finally said something.

"This is wonderful. It looks to be complete, too," he said. He looked at Ellie, "Can you identify it, Ms. Sattler?"

Ellie thought for a few seconds. She had already been trying to figure out that very question, even before he had arrived. She had an idea, so she went with it.

"Well, I believe it's Class Magnoliopsida," she answered.

Alan nodded.

"Sub class Rosidae," she added.

"Very good perception," Alan said proudly.

"From the Cretaceous Period."

"I agree. And when it is examined by Dr. Harper, would you like to be present?"

"Yes! That would be wonderful, thank you," Ellie said.

Alan smiled and then looked over at Allison.

"You are invited, as well, since it looks as though the two of you have discovered it together."

"Thank you, sir. I'd be honored," Allison said, smiling.

"Which brings me to a question. Where's Logan?"

"He's not here today. I think Rob said something about him being sick," Allison answered.

"That's too bad, too. He would have loved this," Ellie said.

Alan was pleased to see how Ellie was really sincere about Logan. She was a very decent human being, but he had already known that much.

"Well, let's see about extracting this great find, shall we?" He asked the two women.

"I'm very much looking forward to that," Ellie said.

"Before you disturb its resting place, we'll need to mark the area and get it charted. And the fossil should be stabilized. We'll need some glue."

"Okay," Ellie said.

"The glue is stored in one of the supply tents. I'll be right back."

Ellie nodded and then Alan turned to walk away. He didn't get far before he turned to face her again.

"Would you like to come along?"

"Yes," Ellie said as calm as she could manage. Then she looked at Allison, "I'll be right back. Keep an eye on our find, so no one else claims it."

Allison laughed.

"I'll guard it with my life," she said smiling.

Ellie smiled in return and then caught up with Alan, who was already walking away. When she was shoulder to shoulder with him, he looked her way.

"You really are very lucky. There haven't been very many complete plant discoveries. I'm very glad you're here. You have a great eye."

"Thank you, Dr. Grant," she said.

Alan changed the subject toward something more personal.

"Did you get your car window fixed?"

"Yeah. I just had to pay a deductible, so it worked out fine."

"That drunk guy should be paying your deductible."

"Well, I think I may have gotten him fired, so that's probably payment enough."

He nodded. They continued to walk through the dig site. They passed three or four trailers and several teepees, before Alan slowed down. He looked as though he were temporarily lost, and then he snapped his fingers and continued.

"Not a tent. It's in a teepee," he said to himself aloud.

Still following him, Ellie could hear music playing from somewhere, as he went into a nearby teepee. He opened the flap and gestured for her to go first. She did and when she got inside she was quite surprised at just how much room was in there. There was an old radio inside, tuned to an AM oldies station. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles, had just begun to play. The song continued on for a few verses.

  


_Tonight you're mine completely_

_You give your love so sweetly_

_Tonight the light of love is in your eyes_

_but will you love me tomorrow ..._

  


Ellie interrupted it.

"This one teepee holds quite a lot of supplies," she said, looking around still.

"Yes they do. They're much better than bloody tents. They have more room inside and the ever present wind doesn't blow them over."

She nodded as she watched him rummaging through some supplies. She was about to ask him if he needed help, which is when he sort of found what he was searching for.

"Ah-ha! There it is. I just have to squeeze in there and get it. It must have fallen down somehow."

He removed his fedora, placing it on a nearby metal table, and then he bent down. Ellie almost immediately picked up the hat. It was heavier than she had expected it to be. She quickly put the hat back where she had found it before he noticed. Alan found the item he was looking for . . . the glue.

"Got it," he said, as he got up from the ground.

He put the glue container on the table next to his hat, picked up the hat and placed it on his head. Ellie reached for the glue, trying to help, but he was already reaching for it, too. Their hands lightly touched for a second and then Ellie moved, letting him pick up the item. Both of them were quiet for a moment, as the song continued to play.

  


_... that your love_

_is love that I can be sure of_

_so tell me now and won't ask again_

_will you still love me tomorrow_ ...

  
  


Alan was starting to feel the same way he had felt when he had first laid eyes on her. He was attracted to her, that was for certain, but he knew it wouldn't be wise to react to that attraction. Ellie mostly felt the same way, but she had some questions that were in need of answering.

"Dr. Grant," she began.

He looked at her. She felt weird addressing him as Dr. Grant after she had already been calling him Alan a few days ago. She tried not to let that bother her.

"I was wondering," she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket, "if I was to call this number . . . would it come here?" She asked, gesturing to the phone on the metal table.

"No. It would go to my trailer, which is a bit more south of where we are right now."

"Oh, okay."

The song ended with repeats of the chorus.

  


_so tell me now and I won't ask again_

_will you still love me tomorrow_

_will you still love me tomorrow_

_will you still love me tomorrow_

  


After a beat, Ellie asked another question.

"Do you find it awkward to talk to me?" She asked directly.

"No, not really. Well, maybe a little," he confessed, scratching the back of his neck.

Ellie was about to ask more questions, when he glanced at his watch.

"I've got to get going. I was supposed to meet Dr. Harper about ten minutes ago. I'll get him to come and chart your discovery."

Ellie nodded. Alan continued.

"Now that you have the correct tool for the job," he handed the glue to her, "you'll be able to properly protect your find now."

"Thank you. Why is this stuff stored in here?"

"Well, there is acetone in the mixture and it can't be exposed to the sun."

"Like nail polish remover?" She asked.

"Exactly. The acetone evaporates quickly and the glue remains, helping to prevent the fossil from shattering."

"Oh, okay."

Alan smiled, as he put his hat on.

"When things are found, they need to be protected as soon as possible, so you can begin doing that," he said.

"I'll try not to disappoint you."

Alan had already started to walk toward the flap entrance. He turned around, looked at her, and smiled.

"I don't think that it's possible for you to disappoint me, Ms. Sattler. I'll meet you back at the digging area in about ten minutes. Get that solution on as soon as you get over there, okay?"

Before she could respond, he walked out of the teepee, quickly disappearing. Ellie stood there for a second, shaking her head and laughing, and then she exited the teepee, as well. As she left, she was humming the words to "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


She found Allison near their digging area, arguing with Gregory Diamond. Ellie began to walk faster, already deciding to be on Allison's side before she even knew what they were arguing about.

"What's going on?"

Her yelling got their attention. As Greg looked her way, Ellie continued.

"And what are you doing here?"

"This is a great find. It looks to be complete and intact. I'm going to help with the extraction," he said.

"No, you're not," Ellie stated, getting closer to whom she perceived as an idiot.

"That's EXACTLY what I already tried to explain to him, Ellie. Only he doesn't have the capacity to listen," Allison angrily said.

Greg looked at both women, who were obviously upset with his being there. He didn't care though. All he knew was that there was a perfect fossil in front of him and since no one else of importance had seen it yet, he was going to claim a part of it. Maybe even all of it.

"Well, since I don't see any of those famed scientists around, I'm including myself in your little discovery."

Allison was about to correct him, as she knew that Dr. Grant had seen the fossil already, but Ellie stopped her from pointing that out, by shushing her. Allison slightly smiled, knowing that it would look much worse for Greg to claim his discovery on his own in the presence of Dr. Grant. Ellie looked at Greg.

"This is your last chance to cease being an asshole, for once in your life."

Greg answered her request by grabbing the glue out of her hand. He knelt down next to the fossil.

"Just shut up and learn your place here," he said as he began to remove the lid from the glue container.

Ellie was beyond furious, especially with that last crack at the female race.

"Allison, could you go get Dr. Grant and tell him we're ready to log our discovery?"

"Sure."

"I think he's with Dr. Harper," Ellie suggested, never taking her eyes away from Greg.

Allison nodded and left the area. Ellie leaned in and grabbed the container from the truly annoying man.

"My glue. I went and got it. Get your own, you lazy, lying, good-for-nothing asshole."

Greg stood up.

"Fine, I will," he said, as he looked to his right, "just as soon as Dr. Grant is here and gone."

Ellie followed his gaze and saw Allison and Alan coming in their direction. Allison had found him and they were en route to the discovery. Alan smiled as he opened the journal in his hand. It was a daily journal, already about half full. There was still about three hours of daylight left, too, making this particular day a great one, in terms of discoveries. As they approached the location, he noticed that there was a third student near the find. That Diamond kid.

"How's everything going?" He asked, as he stopped in front of the area.

Ellie stood by and let Greg Diamond make a fool of himself. The undeserving young man stepped up to the plate.

"I found this just a few hours ago, Dr. Grant. I believe it to be intact, sir."

Alan eyed the student closely, but didn't speak. He was giving him a chance to take back his statement. He didn't seem to be considering any type of retraction or confession, though.

"Mr. Diamond, when did you say you found this?"

Greg began to sweat slightly, trying to remember when Ellie had found it.

"About . . . a half hour ago, sir."

Alan looked at Ellie and Allison. The two women were just standing there quietly. He had thought that one or the other would have spoken up by now, but it looked as though they were leaving it up to him. He turned his attention back to the little jerk.

"A half hour, you say?"

Greg nodded, looking like he might not be certain anymore.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, that is quite funny, Mr. Diamond."

"It is?" Greg said, swallowing uncomfortably.

"Yes. Yes, it is."

Alan continued to stare at him for quite a long time. He managed to make the kid feel so uncomfortable, that Ellie actually started to feel a little bad for him. Finally, Alan spoke again.

"Tell me, Mr. Diamond, how could you find something that Ellie and Allison had already found about an hour before you?"

Greg, who had been full of snide remarks and just pure meanness since he had gotten there, could only think of one response.

"Huh?"

"Good answer," Alan commented. He waited another second and then continued, "It looks as though you've been caught in a slight lie."

"I can explain . . ."

"I bet you can. But you want to know a little secret? I don't care to hear that explanation. You are not a team player, Mr. Diamond."

"I can be, Dr. Gr---"

"I want you packed and out of here in an hour."

"What? You can't do that!"

"I can. And I just did."

"These girls wouldn't know what to do with this find. They would just screw it up. You know that. Paleontology is a man's job."

Ellie became enraged very quickly. She was about to say something, when Alan put up his hand, halting her verbal . . . and possibly physical . . . assault.

"I'm not going to comment on that. You have a lot of growing up to do. And if this is all the growing up that you're planning on doing, then maybe you should look into another profession."

Greg stared at Alan for several seconds. Ellie and Allison witnessed the tension between the two. Alan may have been the boss, but Greg was about two inches taller than he was, making him look fairly menacing. Alan held his ground, though. The young man turned and angrily walked toward one of the tents. Ellie breathed a little easier and noticed that Alan was doing the same thing.

"Well, that was fun," he said, taking a deep breath.

"I thought he was going to deck you," Allison said.

Alan laughed.

"You and me both."

They all laughed nervously, and then Alan got down to business.

"Okay, let's get this beautiful discovery out of the rocks and into Dr. Harper's office."

Ellie and Allison nodded and the three of them began the protecting process.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As was usually the case, Alan was the last person working at the dig site. He walked past the few small parties that were set up in the camp, nodding and greeting various people, and then reached his trailer. He wasn't in a very good mood. First, there was that confrontation with Greg Diamond, and then Ellie and Allison had spent the rest of the day with Dr. Harper. When the examination of the fossil plant was finished, Harper had sent them home. He didn't even know that Ellie had left the site, which sort of disappointed him for some reason. He just wanting to get inside the trailer, get to sleep, and end the day.

That's when Greg Diamond approached him in a civilized manner.

"Dr. Grant. I really need to stay here. I need to complete this summer volunteer work, or I'll be forced to hold off my progress in school."

Alan looked at him. He was astonished at how this kid didn't give up.

"Mr. Diamond, you should have thought about that before that little mishap in the field today."

"Just reinstate me," Greg said in a serious tone.

"I'm not going to reinstate you."

Greg was beginning to unravel some. He took a step closer to Alan.

"I NEED this job. I need you to forget about what happened out there today. Please."

Alan was starting to feel as if Greg wasn't really asking him to do something. He was telling him to do something.

"I'm sure you can find another place to finish up your volunteer work. Why don't you try a different state?"

Greg got even closer.

"No. You don't understand. It's VERY important that I stay here."

Greg had come from a wealthy family, but had a very eccentric great grandfather. According to his great grandfather's will, Greg had to finish certain things at certain times in order to get his inheritance. The old guy had been a geologist and wanting Greg to follow in his footsteps. That was the only way he would ever see Greg as being fit for the money. Greg needed to be finished with his second year by the end of the summer. And he needed this volunteer work to be able to move forward. The school his grandfather had hand-picked required volunteer work in the field, in its curriculum. There was only a handful of approved sites, so Greg had no choice but to stay, since this was the only one that had accepted him at all.

"I suggest you back off. I'm not letting you back in," Alan said strongly.

"How about I pay you for the inconvenience of the happenings from earlier?"

"Sorry, Mr. Diamond. I'm not the bribe-taking kind of guy."

Greg had tried everything in his power to help himself. It was clear to him that this asshole of an instructor wasn't going to let him back into the program. He decided to give up on the idea and leave, but his rage got the better of him. He took another step closer to Alan . . . and pushed him.

"You will regret that decision one day."

Alan stepped back. He couldn't believe the guts this kid had.

"Now you're resorting to threatening me?"

"It's just a general statement. Take it as you like," Greg said, turning away.

Alan stood there in shock. All these years on the job and he had never once been threatened by a student. He did feel slightly endangered. He was just relieved that Greg had given up and seemed to be going away. The kid was a rotten apple.

  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5: Evolution Of Dinosaurs

  
  


Chapter 5: Evolution of Dinosaurs

  


_June 1, 1991 - Monday_

  


Bright and early, on the first day of the new month, Alan decided to begin the day with a topical conversation. Rob had gathered everyone near one of the trailers, allowing Alan to begin talking about his favorite topic of conversation, when it came to dinosaurs.

"Anyone have any thoughts about the dinosaur and bird theory? Either for or against it?"

Dave, the twenty-year-old student, raised his hand.

"Dave, you have some thoughts on the subject?"

Alan was much taller than Dave. He didn't want to intimidate the young student in the least, so he leaned against a nearby table that had been set up by the trailer.

"A few, yes. I'm no expert, but from what I've been able to read, I think the idea that dinosaurs evolved into birds is . . . well, kind of silly."

Some of the other students and volunteers agreed, as they nodded and quietly talked amongst themselves for a second. Rob shook his head, as he knew this was one of Alan's favorite debates. Almost every summer, he was able to persuade people to join the other side of the debate.

"Well, Dave, it may sound silly, but there is a lot of proof to back it up."

"I wasn't really aware of the proof, Dr. Grant," Dave commented, getting more curious about the subject matter.

Alan smiled and continued.

"There are, indeed, incredible similarities between birds and the theropod dinosaurs. Especially the coelurosaurs. And then there's also the work of Dr. J.H. Ostrom, from 1969, about the similarities between the Deinonychus antirrhopus and the Archaeopteryx. And then, for a more recent study, Dr. Gauthier's work in the mid-1980's provided the best analytical support for the theory. The list of studies and reports is endless."

Rob took notice of how everyone was quiet and just staring at Alan. There were a few people in the crowd who looked as though they were just given a key to their open-mindedness. He had done it again. He was able to get a few more people on his side.

Ellie wasn't one of them yet. She had her own thoughts and ideas on the subject, mostly influenced by another professor from California.

"But there is no convincing evidence that dinosaur skin or scales ever mutated into feathers," she pointed out.

Alan stood up and turned his attention toward her, and then she added something else.

"No example of scales changing into feathers has ever been found, at least to my knowledge. A convincing fossil link between dinosaurs and birds is still missing."

"That is true, but there are many scientists, myself included, that are trying to find evidence to the contrary," he said, as he talked with his hands moving about, "I believe it's just a matter of time, and money, before substantial evidence will be discovered, showing that feathers and scales are more similar than not."

Ellie sort of bought that statement, but she still wasn't convinced.

"What about the finger digits of dinosaur forearms and the corresponding bird wing bones of birds? There are putative differences between theropod and bird finger development," she said.

"That argument, and others, such as lung morphology and ankle bone morphology. They all stumble on certain fundamentals of research, including the lack of relevant data on extinct theropods, misinterpretations of anatomy, simplifying assumptions about developmental flexibility, and/or speculations about convergence, biomechanics, or selective pressures."

Alan loved debating about this topic. He was behind this theory one hundred percent. He could tell that Ellie was starting to think about what he was saying, which pleased him. He realized she wasn't quite convinced, though, as she offered another counter measure.

"The fossil bird Archaeopteryx. It causes fundamental time conflict for dinosaur-bird evolution. A gap in the fossil record, if you will," she said.

"This overlooks the blatant fact that other maniraptoran coelurosaurs, such as Ornitholestes, Coelurus, and Compsognathus, are known from strata of Late Jurassic age. If other maniraptorans were there, it logically follows that the ancestors of dromaeosaurs were there."

"Dr. Grant," someone said, interrupting the debate.

Alan turned around and saw Dr. Porter looking at him.

"What is it, Carl? Something good for once?"

The students and volunteers chuckled, and so did Dr. Porter.

"Actually, yes. Possibly, very good news. I need to talk to you in private, if you don't mind."

"Sure," he said, as he looked at the crowd, "Back to work I guess. The morning debate is over."

Alan politely excused himself, as the students and volunteers began to get to work.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Carl Porter walked rather quickly, trying to find somewhere private to talk to Alan.

"Carl, what's this about?"

"I was just speaking to Mr. Hammond's lawyer. Donald Gennaro."

"How incredible," Alan joked.

"He's interested in getting a little more research about specific species of dinosaurs in the infancy stages."

"I'm not writing another paper for him. He's way too pushy."

"He just wants some research, things that you probably already have jotted down somewhere."

Carl Porter was 41 years old with blond hair and a full beard. He had happened upon this job through an advertisement that Rob had placed, three summers ago. Alan had found him extremely beneficial at that time, with the untimely death of Kathryn taking up most of Alan's mind, keeping him from working as he should. Having been married himself at the time, Porter could sympathize with the younger scientist, and was more than willing to take up the slack. He was a serious-minded and dedicated man, leaving little time for a personal life. He was classified as a geologist, but also had some undergraduate work in both paleontology and general science.

"What's he offering?" Alan asked.

"Another ten thousand. Just for some notes that you have shoved in a folder somewhere, Alan. You cannot say no to a request like that."

"Yeah, probably not," Alan said quietly, slowly adjusting to the idea.

"It could help pay for that hauler."

"Good point."

Porter was going to attempt to further talk him into it, when Alan put up a hand.

"Okay, Carl. I'll do it. When does he want the data by?"

"Tomorrow. Tonight, if at all feasible."

"Tonight? That guy is really annoying."

"All lawyers are annoying. Why should this one be any different."

Alan smiled.

"The divorce isn't going all that well, huh?"

Porter rolled his eyes, clearly angry about the so-called divorce.

"That is an understatement. It seems she has decided that she cannot do without the furniture, that we had already agreed to letting me have."

"Why don't you just give the furniture to her. Get it over with."

"I would, but then my wonderful and ever-so-knowledgeable lawyer has informed me that she'll just keep insisting on more belongings."

Alan couldn't think of a thing to say to Porter. A divorce was such a stressful process. People once inexplicably in love would suddenly turn against one another, with nasty name calling not very far behind. It was something he had never had to deal with and he didn't know how to help the poor man. He knew one thing, though. The lawyers probably weren't helping very much.

"Maybe, the two of you should get rid of the lawyers and try to resolve it yourselves."

Porter laughed.

"If I did that, I'd end up with just the tent that's out here."

Alan laughed with him.

"Well, I'm not much help, am I?"

"That's okay. You can redeem yourself by getting that data ready tonight, instead of tomorrow."

"Okay, Carl. I'll get started on it, in just a little while."

Porter nodded and smiled, obviously happy with Alan's answer.

"Very well, then. I'll be seeing you later, to fax the paperwork over to Gennaro."

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie, Allison, Logan and Dave stayed together most of the afternoon. It was a very hot day and they were getting discouraged fast, as they weren't able to find something worthwhile. Ellie was going to dismiss herself very soon, and start heading back to camp. She wanted to get to the research trailer, so that she could see if Alan's book was there. She was sure that it would have to be there, since he was so prominent here.

Allison interrupted her thoughts.

"What were you guys planning on doing for dinner tonight?"

"I hadn't really thought about it much," she answered.

"Dinner is usually ready when I get to the ranch," Logan answered.

"Lucky you," Allison said, and then she looked at Ellie, "There's this restaurant about fifteen minutes away. I've heard some of the volunteers talk about how good the food was. Wanna try it?"

"Sure, but I'll have to go to my apartment first. You know, change clothes and get cleaned up," Ellie answered. She looked at Dave, "Are you going to come, too?"

"Maybe. I'll let you know, okay?" He answered.

"Sounds good," Allison said, "Oh, before I forget. Are there any openings in that building you live in?" She asked Ellie.

"Why? Are you getting tired of living off the land?" Ellie teased.

Allison laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Well, I'm not sure. But if you want to stop by and talk to the manager, Mr. LaVoight, I'm sure he'll be able to let you know."

"I think I'll do that, then," Allison said, nodding.

"Okay. I'll write the directions down for you."

"Thanks, Ellie."

"So, are we going to start heading back? We've got about an hour walk I think," Logan said.

Ellie looked at her watch.

"Yeah, we should start back. Good idea, Logan."

"I can't believe how far we've walked in this heat," Allison said, as she looked at her map.

"And to find nothing," Logan said.

"Yeah, what a let down," Dave added.

Ellie laughed.

"Well, it's not every day when you can find a rare fossil, get a student kicked out of the program, and sit in on Dr. Harper's research."

"True, true," Allison agreed, "I think we may have become somewhat spoiled by that first discovery."

"Definitely," Ellie said.

"Yeah, and I missed that one, too," Logan complained.

"Cheer up, Logan. I'm sure you'll be able to find something."

Logan smirked.

"Thanks."

They continued their trek back to base camp.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After arriving back at camp, Ellie had said her goodbyes and had walked around, trying to find the research trailer. She wanted to ask someone where the trailer was, but there wasn't a soul in the vicinity. She continued to scan the area and found Alan walking quite a distance away from where she was. She watched him go into a trailer on the other side of the camp. She smiled and began to go in that direction. There were teepee's set up everywhere with one lone trailer in the middle. When she was close to the trailer, she could see the words "Research" stamped on the front door. She began to feel a sense of urgency steadily growing inside, as she slowly approached the trailer door. The wind was strong that afternoon. The screen door drifted open, and then quickly slammed shut again, several times. She was about to grab the screen door after a gust of wind, when she was startled from behind.

"Ellie?" Allison asked.

She turned around quickly grasping her chest in surprise.

"Allison. You scared the hell out of me!" She whispered in an excited voice.

Allison laughed.

"Sorry about that. What are you doing? Whatever it is, it seems secretive since I scared you so easily just now."

"I . . . just need to ask Dr. Grant a question. He just went in here."

Ellie tried to throw her off the trail. She really didn't want to explain everything going through her mind at the moment. Now that she thought about it, she didn't think she could explain it since she had no clue what she was doing either.

Allison decided to buy the story . . . for now.

"Okay, I'm going to go find Dave. He decided to go eat with us."

Ellie grabbed hold of the swinging door. She made it up to the fourth and final step, and put a hand on the door knob of the real door.

"Okay, okay."

"I'm starving, Ellie, so hurry up," Allison said, trying to get her to realize that she was serious.

Ellie threw a look of annoyance her way.

"I know. Just give me a second."

Allison nodded, but it was obvious that she knew something out of the ordinary was going on. She would try and get it out of her later in private. She turned and walked away, looking for Dave and leaving Ellie to her secretive mission.

Ellie was watching Allison disappear from view before she went inside. She still had her hand on the door knob, when it was suddenly pulled in the opposite direction. She was jerked forward, running directly into the person on the other side of the door. Alan Grant. He was looking down at a folder in his hand as he walked out, stopping him from seeing her. They gently collided with each other on the small wooden landing.

"Oh, excuse me," he said, looking up.

When he realized who he had run into, a smile crept upon his face. Ellie noticed and returned the smile.

"That's okay. My fault really. I'm the one that's not where she belongs."

She turned and began to walk down the four stairs. She had made it all the way to the dirt.

"Did you need something?" Alan asked, his voice stopping her movement.

With her back to him, she took a giant breath of fresh air and then turned around.

"Well, uh . . .I wanted to ask you a question actually."

This was the same thing she had told Allison. It was no truer now than it had been a few minutes ago, but it was all she could think of on such short notice.

Alan walked all the way out of the trailer, holding the screen door so that it wouldn't flap in the wind. Ellie was backing up and was already off the steps, while Alan stared at her. Her mind was blank. She couldn't come up with a single intelligent thing to say. The wind picked up even stronger, causing the screen door to rip from his hand and begin flapping again. The papers in the folder he was holding threatened to blow violently away in the wind. Since she was just standing there, saying nothing, he spoke up.

"Let's go back inside . . . where the weather is a bit nicer."

"Okay," she said as she quickly walked up the steps and went inside. 

He held the door open for her. When she was inside, he closed the main door, leaving the screen door to fight the wind alone.

The room was fairly quiet, as Ellie looked around. This trailer held nothing but research materials; shelves and shelves of books and various scientific journals, as well as instructor notes and things. Alan noticed she was curiously looking around.

"This is the research trailer."

Ellie looked in his direction and nodded, and then after a short silence, "I don't really have a question," she quietly confessed.

He chuckled at her honesty. He was sort of hoping that she came here for something else anyway. He decided that he would let her make the first move. He wasn't going to say another word unless she did.

She began to have the urge to kiss him and that was the only thing allowed into her mind. She cleared her throat and looked away from him.

"How strange this whole thing is," she commented.

He nodded.

"Yes. It is a little awkward."

After another short silence, Ellie changed the subject.

"So, you live here at the dig site?"

The only thing she wanted out of the question was to know where his bed was.

"Yeah," he paused, "Well, not in this trailer. But the larger trailer over near the South entrance."

"That's convenient."

They stood there staring at each other. Alan was thinking about how beautiful she was. Ellie was dreaming of kissing his lips. They walked a bit closer to each other and Alan put a hand on one of the chairs in the room. The chair was the only thing between them now and he rolled it out of the way. Ellie took a step closer, taking up the space the chair had occupied. He wanted to lean in and kiss her. She wanted to do the same. They were about to get caught up in the moment, when the door suddenly opened. Alan took a step back and directed his attention away from the beautiful woman in front of him.

Hello, Dr. Porter," he said.

Carl Porter was probably the instructor with the most knowledge at the dig site, but with the least common sense. He hadn't even noticed how close his fellow professor was to the young beautiful student.

"Dr. Grant, I was wondering if you might have seen the field journals from two months ago."

Alan glanced at Ellie. He really wanted to continue what they were about to do, but he tried to place that thought far back in his mind.

"They're not in the file cabinet in Trailer A?"

"No. I already looked there."

"Okay, well, I haven't seen them, but I'd be happy to help you find them."

"Thanks Alan. That would be a grand help."

Alan nodded to Dr. Porter and then looked at Ellie again.

"Anything else you need, Ms. Sattler?" He asked, hoping that it sounded convincing.

Ellie wanted something else, but didn't see that this was the appropriate time or place for divulging her feelings. She began to envision throwing Dr. Porter out of the trailer and it made her slightly smile. She was about to answer is question, when she noticed his book laying out on one of the tables.

"Actually, I'll just grab this and I'll be on my way," she said, picking up the book.

She excused herself from the trailer, walked to the door and took one more look inside. Alan was looking back at her, while Dr. Porter was searching the room. She smiled, as she was certain they both wanted the same thing now. She could wait. She had no choice really. She walked down the path to find Allison and Dave.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Allison pulled up to the apartment complex. She double-checked the directions that were scribbled on a piece of paper. When she was satisfied that she was in the right place, she parked her car. Ellie had gotten out of going to eat, leaving Allison to eat with Dave by herself. After dinner, Allison was supposed to go to her apartment to meet the manager.

Ellie was sitting on the couch in her small living room, reading the book that she had borrowed from the research trailer. She had taken several minutes, just thumbing through the fully illustrated book, before she actually got down to reading. It was a very quiet time of day and she was deep in thought, as she read to herself.

_The dinosaur-bird connection was first popularized by evolutionist Thomas Henry Huxley as early as 1870. Supporters point to the theropods, small meat-eating dinosaurs. Most of these animals were ten feet or less in length, moved about on two legs, and had small forearms. The theropods had a superficial ostrich type skeletal appearance, which led to the idea that these dinosaurs eventually changed into birds._

Her reading was interrupted by a buzzing noise, coming from the call box. She quickly got up, placed the book on the coffee table, and went to the call box. She pushed a button and leaned forward.

"Allison? That you?"

A few seconds went by and then she heard Allison's voice.

"Yep."

Ellie pushed another button, allowing the door downstairs to be unlocked. She opened her apartment door and looked for Allison. Allison gained entrance and walked up a flight of stairs, meeting Ellie in the hallway.

"Did you find it okay?" Ellie asked.

"Oh, yeah. No problems."

They went inside the apartment and Ellie shut the door. Allison took in the surroundings. The apartment had three rooms. The main living area with a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom.

"Small, but nice, Ellie."

"Thanks. I like it."

Allison went to go sit on a chair and noticed the book Ellie was reading. She laughed.

"Evolution of Dinosaurs, by Dr. Alan Grant, PhD?"

Ellie hurried to the coffee table and picked up the book.

"I thought some of his points were very well thought out. I just wanted to research the topic a bit more."

"He really struck a chord, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked, defensively.

Allison shook her head.

"It's just you were against his viewpoint. And now you're changing your tune."

"Oh, well, I hadn't had the opportunity to hear someone explain it the way he does. That's all. A student's viewpoint is always influenced by the instructors around her."

"Yes, that is true," Allison said.

"His theories sound feasible and he has quite a bit of research to back them up," Ellie added.

The way Ellie was holding the book, Allison could see the back cover. There was a picture of Alan, taken at the dig site. He was wearing his hat and looking very handsome in the Montana sun.

"Plus, he looks really good," she said, gesturing to the back cover.

Ellie turned it around and looked at it. He had looked very good, that was obvious. She had already noticed the picture, but suddenly she felt like Allison might see right through her feelings for Alan if she admitted that.

"Yeah, it is a very nice picture. I hadn't noticed," she said, placing the book on the couch next to her.

Allison picked it up and quickly scanned a few pages. She opened it up to a list of the similar characteristics between birds and dinosaurs.

  


_ The first birds shared the following major skeletal characteristics with many coelurosaurian dinosaurs (especially those of their own clade, the Maniraptora, which includes Velociraptor):_

_1. Pubis (one of the three bones making up the vertebrate pelvis) shifted from an anterior to a more posterior orientation (see Saurischia), and bearing a small distal "boot"._

_2. Elongated arms and forelimbs and clawed manus (hands)._

_3. Large orbits (eye openings in the skull)._

_4. Flexible wrist with a semi-lunate carpal (wrist bone)._

_5. Hollow, thin-walled bones._

_6. 3-fingered opposable grasping manus (hand), 4-toed pes (foot); but supported by 3 main toes._

_7. Reduced, posteriorly stiffened tail._

_8. Elongated metatarsals (bones of the feet between the ankle and toes)._

_9. S-shaped curved neck._

_10. Erect, digitgrade (ankle held well off the ground) stance with feet postitioned directly below the body._

_11. Similar eggshell micro structure._

_12. Teeth with a constriction between the root and the crown._

_13. Functional basis for wing power stroke present in arms and pectoral girdle (during motion, the arms were swung down and forward, then up and backwards, describing a "figure-eight" when viewed laterally)._

_14. Expanded pneumatic sinuses in the skull._

_15. Five or more vertebrae incorporated into the sacrum (hip)._

_16. Strap-like scapula (shoulder blade)._

_17. Clavicles (collarbone) fused to form a furcula (wishbone)._

_18. Hinge-like ankle joint, with movement mostly restricted to the fore-aft plane._

_19. Secondary bony palate (nostrils open posteriorly in throat)._

  


After reading through the first ten characteristics, Allison nodded in agreement with them all. She looked at Ellie.

"Could I borrow this book when you're finished?"

Ellie smiled.

"Sure."

Allison placed the book back on the coffee table and clapped her hands together.

"Okay, let's go meet with the apartment manager," she said.

Ellie nodded and they left the apartment, in search of Mr. LaVoight.

  



	6. Chapter 6: Looking For Love In All The

  


Chapter 6: Looking For Love In All The Right Places

  


_June 18, 1991 - Tuesday_

  


Ellie's Taurus pulled into the dig site. She usually parked in a manner, so that she could see Alan's red pickup truck. It had taken her a few weeks to figure out which truck was his, since there seemed to be so many red pick-up trucks there. She was still proud that she was able to get to the bottom of that investigation. Women had their ways of finding out those types of things.

To her disappointment, his truck wasn't there. It was missing just like the day before. As she exited her car, she spotted another truck driving toward her. It was blue, so it definitely wasn't Alan's truck. She had come to know from her investigations, that this particular truck was Rob Tandy's. The rock music blaring from the radio was additional evidence of it being Rob.

His truck stopped next to Ellie's car and he quickly got out, putting a halt to the music.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully.

He was definitely a morning person.

"Good morning," she returned.

He looked around for a second.

"Where's the rest of your team?" He asked, referring to Allison and Logan.

"Allison isn't going to be here today and I'm not sure about Logan. Which reminds me, I'm supposed to tell you that Allison isn't going to be here today," she said, smiling.

"Consider it done," he said, nodding. He glanced toward Alan's trailer, "Look at that. He's already gone. That man gets up way too early."

Ellie played dumb.

"Who? Dr. Grant?"

"Yeah. Last night, he left a message on my machine. He wants me to give something to that old fossil, Dr. Harper."

"Old fossil?"

He laughed.

"Just a joke. Harper is quite funny. His comic timing is pretty good . . . for a prehistoric archeological remain."

Ellie politely laughed. Not because Rob's joke was funny, but because she was finding out where Alan had been.

"So, how are you adjusting to life in Montana?" He asked.

"It's not so bad, really. I'm enjoying myself and I've gotten to meet a lot of new and interesting people."

"That's good. I'm glad you're fitting in so well."

"You think so?" Ellie asked in a surprised tone.

"Oh, yeah. Alan talks about you all of the time."

"He does?"

Ellie tried to be careful about the surprised expression that had just developed on her face, but she found it very hard to disguise the happiness. Rob noticed, too.

"I get the feeling that you talk about him all of the time, too."

Ellie was still working on containing her happiness.

"I guess you could say that."

Saying that short sentence out loud was her first public admission, hinting at how she felt about Alan. Rob decided to give her some more information about his old friend, since she seemed interested.

"It's good to see him . . . interested . . . in someone after Kathryn," Rob said.

"Kathryn?"

"He was married before. She passed on about three years ago."

"I had no idea," Ellie said sadly.

"He hasn't talked about another woman since. And now, there's you."

Ellie was speechless and Rob could see that she was getting embarrassed, so he tried to end the conversation in a sensible manner.

"He's a lucky guy," he observed, smiling.

Ellie turned a slight shade of red. She quickly regained her composure, and then changed the subject.

"I'd say that I'm the lucky one. Being here, on a working and thriving dig site, has been a great experience, education-wise."

Rob noticed how she shifted subjects on him. He decided to let it go.

"Well, I'm glad you feel like you're learning something."

"And speaking of which, I need to get going."

"Always the dedicated one, aren't you?" Rob joked.

"You know it," Ellie answered, smiling again.

She walked away from Rob, wishing that she had found out more details about the whereabouts of Alan. Instead, it seemed as though Rob was the one that found out details about how she felt about Alan. She decided to stop thinking about Alan and Rob. There was nothing she could do about it now, anyway. She went to work, walking through the camp, looking for Logan or Dave.

Rob stood there, watching her leave the area. _Alan really is a lucky guy, damn it_. There had been several occasions now, where Alan had brought up her name in casual conversation. He could see that Alan was smitten with her, but, up until now, he wasn't sure how she had felt. After talking with her for a few minutes, he had his answer. She was. He smiled, as he headed toward Alan's trailer, in search of the folder Alan wanted him to give to Harper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellie finally made it home to her apartment, after a longer than usual day at the digs. It was getting late and she realized she hadn't eaten yet, so she searched the phone book for a place that was still open, and ordered some food over the phone. She had gone most of the day without much to eat or drink, besides a donut and soda that Logan had given her in the afternoon. She had gotten into her car and drove to where her food was waiting. It was a local bar, called "The Hell Creek Bar & Grill".

Ellie walked into the bar. She looked around nervously, as she tried to quickly figure out where she would have to go to pick up her take out order. The bar was completely full. There were about 30 people in there, including seven or eight at the bar itself. The majority of the people were sitting at the various sized tables, while some were playing darts, and a few were crowded around the juke box.

Taking a closer look at the people sitting at the bar, she noticed something disturbing. Raymond, the tow truck driver, was standing right next to the register, where she had to go. She took a deep breath, and then walked in that direction. She reached the counter without delay. The troublesome man had his back to her, so she waited patiently for the bartender to become available. He finally did. He came over.

"What can I do for you, beautiful," he said.

This remark grabbed the attention of the troublesome man. He turned around and saw her.

"Oh, lookee here. If it isn't that . . . that . . . lady who never paid me."

The man was obviously very drunk, yet again. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. She tried ignoring him by never making eye contact.

"I need to pick up a take out order, please," she whispered to the bartender.

"Name?"

"Ellie."

"Okay. Be right back."

Ellie nodded. She didn't dare look to her left, which was where that drunk man was. To her dismay, he got even closer to her.

"So . . . Ellie. That's a really pretty name there, missy."

Ellie leaned forward a little, to check on the bartender's progress. He wasn't coming back yet. She finally looked at the man.

"Look, please leave me alone," she said softly, as she looked around to see if anyone was watching.

The man stepped away from the barstool, staggered, and almost fell. He grabbed onto Ellie's arm for balance.

"I want you to come home with me, sweetheart. So come on," he said, dragging her. "Let's go to my place, so I can get paid."

Ellie had no idea of what to do, as the man was much bigger than she was. She was about to use some force, when she noticed that the man had three more friends that left the bar and began walking alongside the inebriated man. He continued to drag her toward the door. The bartender finally came from the back with her food order. He shouted to Ellie and the men.

"Hey, Raymond! The lady has food over here. Bring her back here!" He shouted.

The drunk man, Raymond, turned around. He still had Ellie's wrist gripped tightly.

"The lady . . . is coming home with me," he managed to get out, through slurs.

The bartender shrugged his shoulders and went back to work. Ellie couldn't believe how unhelpful he turned out to be. Raymond and his three friends almost had her to the door now. She began to get angry, letting her initial fear fade away. She was about to do something and that's when the front door opened. Alan Grant walked inside. He was full of dust, from head to toe, and he looked exhausted. He looked up as he walked inside, as he nearly collided with Ellie.

"Oh, excuse me," he said.

She gave him a distressful look, as Raymond continued to drag Ellie past her teacher. It didn't take long for Alan to figure out the situation.

"Hey, uh, Raymond."

He had recognized the man from before. Raymond turned around and looked at him.

"What do you want? I have to . . . get home," he slurred.

"Why don't you let go of the lady, Raymond."

Raymond took a long and good look at the man standing before him, and then he glanced back at the woman he was holding against her will. In a sudden flash in his mind, he remembered where he had seen these two people before.

"Hey! You're that damn guy who attacked me on the highway!"

Alan was noticeably angry about the accusation, but decided not to get into a shouting match with a drunk.

"You were the one with the crowbar. Now just let her go and we'll go on our way."

"She's with me," Raymond said, feeling he had the advantage since his friends were near him.

Alan smiled.

"Clearly, Raymond, she's not with you."

Raymond looked at her. He looked at his three friends, who had moved in all around Alan by now. Ellie began to get worried about her would-be savior. The bartender yelled from across the room.

"Dr. Grant. I don't want any fights in my establishment. Take this little disagreement outside."

Alan looked at the bartender.

"Jerry, they started it."

He knew the bartender's name.

"And we're going to finish it," Raymond spat.

The drunk man let Ellie go and took a swing at the scientist. Alan instinctively dodged his body backwards, but it wasn't really necessary. Raymond missed by a mile and fell to the wooden floor. Alan took Ellie's hand and began to pull her toward the front door. When he turned to face the front door, one of Raymond's friends blocked his way, while another of the three took a swing at him. This particular punch connected with Alan's jaw, forcing him to stagger sideways. He grabbed his jaw, becoming very angry.

"All right! All of you! Out!" Jerry yelled, "Before I call the bouncer! He'll do horrible things to your faces, so I suggest you leave right now!"

Alan took the queue. He reached the front door, with Ellie, and ran from the building. Raymond's friends stayed behind to help the fallen drunk get back on his feet.

Ellie was very relieved to be outside. She sighed and was very quiet for a few seconds. As they got farther from the door, Alan looked at her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she repeated, and then she smiled. "Come here often?"

Alan gestured toward the front door.

"Oh, this place? Oh, yeah, I'm embarrassed to admit that I come here quite often. How'd you know?"

"You knew the bartender's name and he knew yours."

Alan nodded.

"Yes. That is true," he said, and then he added, "You are very perceptive."

"Thank you, Dr. Grant," she said.

"You can call me Alan."

Ellie smiled. Even with all the dust and dirt, he remained a very good looking man.

"Thank you . . . Alan. For the compliment and the save in there."

"You're very welcome," he said, rubbing his jaw, "I think."

She began to walk toward her car and he followed. She figured he was parked over there, as well. She glanced at him, as she walked.

"How's the jaw?"

"It'll be fine."

"It looked like he hit you very hard."

Alan laughed.

"Imagine what that guy could do if he were sober."

Ellie nodded. She was very comfortable talking to Alan, but the more she thought about, the more awkward she began to feel. She was having a personal conversation with one of her instructors. That wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact she was certain she had feelings for him.

"Well, I'm glad we didn't have to find out," she said.

Alan smiled again. She was really liking the way that he smiled. She was going to play it cool, though. She didn't want him to know that she had butterflies in her stomach. She kept walking until she reached her car. She knew he drove a truck and she noticed there wasn't one anywhere near her car.

"Where's your truck?"

"Oh, that's kind of a funny story, actually," he said.

"It is, huh?"

"I ran out of gas, about a quarter mile from here."

"That is funny."

"I knew you would see it that way," he said, and then he added, "I decided to walk over here. You know, to have a beer and think about it."

She laughed.

"Where were you?" She asked.

He smiled at her. She was very beautiful. He had already known that much, but now, just looking at her so close, he really was mesmerized by her beauty. And she smelled incredible, as her perfume lingered in the air.

"I was doing some land surveying nearby. I'm thinking of moving the dig site a few miles."

"You were surveying this late at night?"

He nodded.

"Wow. That just surprises me," Ellie said.

"Why is that?"

"I don't know."

"What a good and firm answer. Well done," he teased, smiling. Ellie smiled back and he continued, "And what are you doing out after dark, young lady?"

"I was hungry. Thought I'd get a bite to eat. I had no idea this place was the home of vermin."

"Vermin," he repeated softly, as if thinking about the comment.

Ellie felt slightly embarrassed, as she realized she had just possibly insulted him.

"I don't mean you. I mean those intoxicated people inside," she said, gesturing toward the bar.

"I know. I was just giving you a hard time."

Ellie shook her head. She had no idea why she didn't figure that out. The way he was looking at her, was throwing her off guard. He interrupted her thoughts.

"I'm going to head to the gas station. It's just another half mile up the road," he said, as he began to walk away from her car.

She decided to act on her feelings . . . just a little bit.

"I could give you a ride to the gas station," she offered.

Alan thought about it for a moment.

"Sure, if you don't mind."

"If I minded, why would I ask?"

"Good point."

"Then it's settled. Get in," she said, as she unlocked the car doors.

Alan waited for her to get inside first, and then he opened the door and began to get into the passenger seat. She was driving a gray Ford Taurus, complete with leather seats and a lot of extras.

"Are you sure you want me to get into this nice car? I'm a bit dusty," he said, rubbing the leather seat.

"It's just a lease. Besides, a little dirt has never hurt anything. At least as far as I know."

Alan looked at her as she started the car and flipped on the headlights.

"Okay, then," he said, getting into the car.

She laughed and waited for him to get situated, and then she put the car in reverse. The car backed up, and then she put it in drive. A few seconds went by.

"Thanks again," Alan finally said.

"It's no trouble."

They were quiet again for a few moments, as Ellie maneuvered through the bar parking lot.

"Could you just drive me to the dig site? I'll get my truck later," he said.

"Are you sure? Because it's no trouble."

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm tired and would rather just figure out what to do about it in the morning."

"If that's what you want," she said, as she kept an eye out for people.

Alan was staring at her, watching her study the parking lot.

"It's kind of nice, seeing you in a relaxed state," he observed with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not analyzing every word that I say," he answered.

Ellie thought about that statement for a moment. She had given him somewhat of a hard time on several occasions, that was true. But, compared to lectures and debates at the dig site, she was feeling like she was focusing even more attention on everything he was saying right now. She decided not to share that particular thought, though.

"Are you telling me it would be better if I agreed with you, on the job?"

"No. I was just commenting on how happy I was that we're not debating for a change."

"Oh," she said softly.

The car pulled out of the bar parking lot and onto the main road. It wasn't much of a main road. Just a two-lane highway with no traffic signals, and a few scattered lamp posts. The road was even dirt in some places still.

"So, what made you choose Montana, anyhow?" Alan asked.

"Well, I'm very close to becoming a Paleobotantist, as I'm sure you're aware of. I thought it would be wise to come out to a dig site and help uncover things of a prehistoric nature. I've always wanted to be out in the field. Classrooms bore me, I'm afraid."

"Oh, so you're the adventuresome type?"

"Yeah, maybe. A little. How long have you been here, in the Badlands?"

"Several years, but not all in the same place. I've moved the dig site twice, since I arrived. I assembled a second team of volunteers to stay on at the previous site. The volunteers are always a lot more excited about the prospect of finding something that the scientists missed, so it works out very well for everyone."

"I see. And now you're thinking of moving it again?" She asked, as she kept her eyes mostly on the road, glancing at him from time to time.

"Yeah. There are some wonderful rock structures, East of the dig site. After a few more surveys, I'll be able to make a more qualified decision."

"So, the decision comes solely from you then?"

"I guess so, yes," he said, smiling.

"I didn't realize that you were so much in charge. You're so . . . so . . . "

"So . . . what?" Alan asked, really paying attention now.

"You're so calm and pleasant. You don't walk around like you have so much authority."

"Well, thank you. I thought you were going to be mean," he said, laughing.

Ellie laughed uncomfortably. She was beginning to get that same awkward feeling again.

"Why would I be mean? I think you're a great teacher and a great scientist."

"Now that should get you an A for sure," he teased.

Ellie laughed.

"That's what I was going for."

The car turned left, onto a dirt road and continued about a mile. As they approached the trailers, Ellie stopped the car and turned the headlights off. Alan opened the door and got out. She saw him lean down by the window, so she rolled it down.

"Well, thanks for the ride."

"You're welcome. I'll see you in the morning," she said.

Alan tapped a hand on the edge of the door.

"No, I'm heading out to survey again tomorrow, so I won't be around."

"Oh, okay."

"That reminds me. By any chance, do you know if Rob gave a folder to Dr. Harper?"

"Actually, no, he didn't. He said he couldn't find it," Ellie answered.

"I need to get that folder to him. Could you wait here just a second, so I can see if I can find it?"

Ellie was taken aback a little bit, but she answered right away.

"Sure."

"Good. Thanks. I'll go and find it," he said.

He turned around and jogged toward the trailer door. He was gone from view for about five minutes. Ellie was getting impatient, as she kept glancing at her watch. She was very attracted to him, and what she really wanted to do was go in there, find him, grab him, and kiss him. She had never felt that strongly about being so aggressive with a man, but he aroused something totally different inside of her. She decided on waiting in the car a few minutes longer, as opposed to running in there and attacking the poor unsuspecting man.

She only lasted another two minutes, before she opened the car door and got out. She closed the door, as softly as she could, and then headed for the front door of his trailer. It was very dark outside and there were only the sounds of insects all around. Nothing else. She reached the door and put her hand on the door handle, thinking about whether or not she should go inside.

"Oh, what the hell," she whispered to herself.

She opened the door and went inside. It was dark inside the trailer, except for a light coming from somewhere in the rear. Alan's trailer was very large, as it was used to store some of the bigger discoveries that were uncovered in the field. There was also a connecting trailer, where the findings were cleaned and cataloged.

She began to walk in the direction the light was coming from. She made it to the source and peaked into that room. He was in there, sorting through a few things. Her presence obviously startled him, but he handled it well.

"Sorry about that. I got in here, and couldn't find the damned thing," he said, lightly laughing, as he continued to thumb through some papers and folders.

"It's okay. I was just wondering what happened to you," she said.

Ellie was really feeling out of place. She decided to get herself out of the situation, but just as she was going to say good-bye, Alan found what he was looking for.

"Here it is!" He half yelled.

Ellie smiled and nodded, as he approached her with a folder. Now that he was in the light, she could see some blood coming from his mouth. Without thinking, she put a hand to his mouth.

"You're bleeding."

He reached for her hand.

"It's nothing. It goes along quite nicely with the rest of the dust and dirt."

He took her hand from his face and held onto it, looking into her eyes. He couldn't seem to take his eyes away. Just as he was about to act on his feelings, he switched emotional gears, and placed the folder in her other hand.

"Here you go. Could you give this to Dr. Harper in the morning? He'll be needing it. He actually needed it today, so he may be a little crabby tomorrow."

Ellie looked away from his eyes for a second.

"Sure," she answered.

"Thank you," Alan said softly.

All of Ellie's feelings, that she had almost let be known, retracted. She turned to leave. She walked through the rest of the trailer and reached the front area. As she was about to walk out, she heard Alan's voice behind her.

"Can I ask you a question?"

She turned around, trying not to show how happy she was, that he took the time to say something more to her.

"Anything," she answered, hoping that he would ask something personal.

"Are you . . . " Obviously the question was a tough one for him to get out in the open. "Are you, seeing anyone?"

Ellie almost lost her composure, but she managed to stay calm.

"No. You?"

Alan shook his head no. He was about to say something else, when Ellie put the folder down on a nearby chair and walked up to him. He looked away for a second, and then he finally focused on her again.

"I'm terrible at telling people how I feel. And I feel like I'm being very inappropriate right now," he said softly.

"I don't think you're being inappropriate," Ellie said, trying to ease his instabilities regarding the situation.

It worked. He smiled.

"You don't, huh?" He said softly.

Ellie got closer to him and gently reached for one of his hands. In return, he took a step closer to her.

"No, I don't," she whispered.

That was the last thing she said. Alan pulled her toward him and kissed her. It was very passionate for a first kiss, and it surprised him just how badly he had wanted to kiss her.

Ellie wrapped an arm around his neck, caressing his hair, as they continued with the kiss, moving their heads from side to side. They were still holding hands, as the kiss went on and on. Ellie's knees actually began to feel weak, just like in all of the fairy tale storybooks. She leaned her whole body into his, as they finally came up for air.

Alan looked at her carefully, as he held onto her. He felt like he was taking advantage of her. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.

"You should probably go, Ellie."

Ellie was feeling completely different about the situation. She wanted it to go further.

"I don't want to go."

"But you should."

"Do you want me to, Alan?"

He thought about it, as his initial answer was no.

"Yeah."

Ellie didn't want to give up on what might happen just yet.

"Are you sure?"

"No."

Ellie felt a rush of emotion stir up inside of her. The look on her face didn't mask that feeling very well, either.

"Well, good. Because I think that I would like to get to know you better."

She still had his hand. She moved closer to him, for the second time, and began to kiss him again. She wanted to completely give herself to him, but she could tell he was still not quite right with it. By the way he kissed her back, though, she could feel that he was toying with the idea of surrendering to the feelings, too. Just when she thought it was going to happen, he stopped the kiss, and backed away from her.

"It's obvious that we have gotten caught up in the moment."

Ellie knew he was right, to a certain extent.

"Maybe you're right. But I've wanted to do that since I met you."

Alan was thrown off guard by that comment. The first time he saw her beautiful face, he had thought the exact same thing. It was very reassuring to know that she had felt that same way, but he still believed that he was somehow taking advantage of his status. He decided to throw caution to the wind and speak his mind, regarding his prized student.

"Well, since we're being honest, I've done nothing but think of you for the past few weeks."

"You see? There you have it. We both have had similar thoughts. It's clearly not a spontaneous thing happening here," she said, smiling. 

"Let's try this," Alan began, as he glanced at his dirty clothes, "I'm going to take a shower. If you're still here when I get out, then we'll know it's more than just spontaneity. Okay?"

Ellie thought about it for a second.

"Sounds good."

Alan nodded and headed for another part of the trailer.

"I'll be right back."

Ellie heard the shower come on. She gingerly walked around the trailer, looking at Alan's belongings. Walking into the back area again, she found his hat and smiled. He wore that thing a lot. It must have been lucky for him. She smiled as she thought about how that hat might have saved him from getting punched, had he been wearing it. She looked around some more, finding different things, here and there. There was a row of old text books lining one shelf, accompanied by some notebooks and folders. She glanced through them, being careful not to disturb them. Sitting on a nearby end table was an old television with a TV Guide dated from two months ago. She guessed he wasn't much of a television watcher. There were two comfy looking chairs in this room, along with a couch. Next to the couch was a dusty looking radio. All in all, the area she was in looked very homelike. He had successfully divided the front, which was the work half of the trailer, from this rear section. She continued to look around.

One thing in particular caught her attention. It was a photograph of a very beautiful woman, sitting in a field of very green grass. The picture was absolutely beautiful. She picked it up and took the picture from the frame. There was something written on the back of the picture. It said Kathryn 1986. She put the picture back in the frame, instantly knowing that it was his deceased wife. She felt a little guilty suddenly. Like she shouldn't be looking forward to what was surely about to happen when he turned that shower off.

She put the picture frame down. Just then, the shower went off. She walked toward that area of the trailer and watched the bathroom door open. He was standing there, wearing just a pair of shorts and holding a towel. She had never seen him in shorts, and she had certainly never seen him shirtless. It was a very pleasant sight. She smiled at him.

"I'm still here," she whispered.

"I see that."

He walked up to her. He threw the towel to the floor and embraced her tightly, kissing her deeply, once again. Then he gently unbuttoned her blouse, and began kissing her exposed shoulders. Ellie felt like she might faint from happiness, as she moved her hands over his chest. He was in very good shape, which made her all the more anxious to get to the bedroom. He stopped kissing her shoulders just long enough to kiss her lips again. As they wrapped themselves around each other, he slowly edged their willing bodies toward the bedroom. She was standing in the doorway of his bedroom, waiting for his next move. He closed the bedroom door and gently placed her on the bed. They leaned into the bed and spent the rest of the night together.

  



	7. Chapter 7: Relocating

  
  
  
  


Chapter 7: Relocating

  


_June 19, 1991 - Wednesday_

  


Ellie awoke with a pre-existing smile on her face from the night before. The window in the bedroom was opened about half way, allowing a gentle breeze to flow through the small bedroom. Her soft blonde hair was moving lightly in the breeze, as she turned over. She had expected to see Alan there, and when he wasn't there, she sighed with disappointment. She glanced at the alarm clock. It said 6:18am. She slowly sat up in the bed, with the sheet over her body and searched for her clothes. She was still smiling, as she found all the necessary things to make her look proper. It was around that time, when the smell of a delicious breakfast hit her senses. She had never gotten the opportunity to eat last night and now she was absolutely starving. She quickly put on her clothes and headed out of the bedroom. As she was making her way to the kitchen, she decided to quietly stop at the bathroom to use the facilities and freshen up a little bit. When she was finished, she headed to the kitchen area and found what she was looking for.

Alan was sitting in one of the chairs at the kitchen table, eating some bacon and drinking some orange juice. _He's handsome, great in bed, and he cooks_. When he saw Ellie approach the table, he quickly wiped his face with a napkin and stood up.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said, smiling.

Ellie laughed.

"Sunshine?"

"Yeah. When I see you, it instantly feels like a warm ray of direct sunshine is coming down upon me."

Ellie smiled and then she yawned involuntarily.

"That's about the corniest thing a man has ever said to me."

Alan smirked.

"Well, sorry. I guess I'm still feeling a little light headed after that blow to the head last night."

Ellie walked over to him and hugged him. When she let go, she kissed him again. It was very nice to wake up to this, first thing in the morning, and Ellie believed that she could easily get used to it.

"It might have been corny, but it's also one of the most romantic things a man has ever said to me."

Before he could respond, she leaned in and kissed him again, shutting him up. They stayed in that position for quite some time, and then Ellie settled in to eat breakfast.

"This could be complicated," she said, looking around the small kitchen.

"It could be, I agree," he said, sipping his orange juice.

"I'm a coffee drinker. I don't see any coffee around here," she said, smiling.

Alan laughed at her little joke.

"Well, there's a coffee maker in the cabinet. I don't usually do coffee, but every once in a while it sounds good."

Ellie nodded, got up, and went to the cabinet he was pointing to. She tinkered with the coffee maker for a minute and managed to get it working. She sat back down.

"Seriously, though. I'll work this however you want. You want this to be a secret, I can do that."

"I really don't know what I want."

"Well, I would think our . . . involvement . . . would look less than favorable to your colleagues."

"I thought of that, but I'm not sure I even care what they think."

She had the urge to kiss him again and so she did just that. She stood up, wrapped her arms around his neck and planted one on him. They held each other, kissing and smiling. Alan looked at his watch.

"When were you planning on leaving?" She asked.

"7:00am," he said as he looked away from his watch.

"What time is it?"

"6:38."

Ellie stared into his eyes, knowing full well what she wanted.

"We've got some time on our hands, then," she whispered as she reached over and kissed his neck repeatedly.

He stood up quickly, looked around for a minute, and then settled his gaze on her. He put a hand under her arm and gently pulled. She was on her feet in seconds. They headed toward the bedroom, with Ellie nuzzling his ear.

  
  
  


_June 26, 1991 - Wednesday_

  


The apartment door opened with a creek and Ellie let him inside. Alan walked into the small apartment and took in the surroundings.

"Very nice," he said.

"Thanks. I haven't taken too much time decorating and whatnot, but it's suitable."

"Yes, it is."

"Besides, I'm barely ever here anymore," she added.

For the last week, Ellie had been staying with Alan and had only stepped into the apartment for clothes and things that first day. Alan was still looking around when she had added that comment. He looked at her and smiled.

"Sorry about that. I guess I've been keeping you busy."

Ellie was slightly embarrassed, but then she got over it.

"Well, you can keep me busy any day of the week," she said, smiling.

He moved closer to her and reached for her hand.

"This really is a very nice place. Maybe I should move in here?"

"That could be arranged," she said, bringing his hand to her mouth and kissing it.

Alan thought about it for a moment. It would be nice to be away from the dig site, but he knew his presence at the field was needed. Sometimes at very strange hours.

"I better stick to sleeping at the dig site," he said.

"Want some . . . permanent company?"

He didn't even have to think about the answer to that question.

"Absolutely."

Ellie smiled even more than she had already been, if that was possible.

"I'll see if I can get Allison to take this apartment. Or at least share it with me. If I offer to still pay for half of everything, she should agree with not too much of a problem. She's on a half a dozen waiting lists around town for an apartment, so she's definitely looking."

"The Grant suite . . . is yours, my lady," he teased.

"Oh, thanks," she said, and then she added, "Can I redecorate?"

He laughed, but didn't answer.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Later in the day, Ellie had forced herself to separate from Alan, so that she could get some work done. She was back at the dig site, and she and Allison resumed their searching from the previous day. After an exhaustive search in the heat, turning up absolutely nothing, they began to walk back to the camp. While looking around at the ground carefully, Ellie decided it was the perfect time to ask Allison about the apartment.

"Are you still looking for a place to stay?"

"Yeah, I am, but how did you know?"

"Grapevine," Ellie answered, joking.

Allison laughed.

"So, do you have a suggestion?"

"I sure do. What about my apartment? I've been staying on site here for the last couple of weeks, so I don't really use it much. I don't see myself using much any time soon, either."

"Why is that? Weren't you the one against staying here? Living in a tent."

"That's true, but I've changed my mind."

"I'm not one to question the good faith of a friend. So I'm just going to say thanks. That would be great, Ellie."

"And I'll still pay for half of everything, if you need me to, since I might find myself staying there every once in a while."

"That would help me out tremendously. But you're not exactly made of money."

"Well, if you didn't move in there, I'd be paying all of the expenses. With you there, I'll only be paying for half. So it's a good deal for both of us really."

"Sounds perfect."

"Just say the word and I'll help you move in."

"How's this weekend sound?"

"Sounds fine to me," Ellie said.

"Okay, I'm going to be away on Saturday, but Sunday would be perfect," Allison said, trying to remember her schedule of free time.

"Sunday it is, then. I'll meet you over at the apartment Sunday afternoon. You remember where it is, right?"

"Yeah. Once I've been to a place once, I can remember the way. I'm lucky like that," Allison said.

"I wish I could say the same thing," Ellie said, smiling, "I'm pretty much forgetful about a lot of things."

"I won't hold it against you," Allison teased.

Ellie laughed.

"Thanks. See ya on Sunday, and maybe around here in the next couple of days," she said.

Allison nodded and walked toward the East area of the dig site, where some of the tents were located. Ellie stood in place for quite a while, thinking about all the time she could spend with Alan. Now that she only had to worry about half of the apartment expenses, she didn't feel as guilty for spending so many nights with him. She was sure that her mother would never understand the situation, though. She would have to tell her about the progress in her life sooner or later. She opted for later. Much later.

  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha

  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8: Someone To Lean On

  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 8: Someone To Lean On

  


_June 28, 1991 - Friday_

  


Rob was hovering around the camp, waiting for Alan to come back from the field. He had managed to convince himself that he needed to talk Alan into giving Ellie a chance. He was sure he could persuade him into placing Kathryn's memory behind him. He would just have to be very clever and cautious with his word choice.

As he was running a few sample sentences through his head, he spotted Alan walking into a clearing, toward him. He decided to wait right where he was, but then couldn't just stand there any longer. He caught up to Alan.

"You've got to let her go," he spit out when he was close enough for Alan to hear him.

It wasn't quite the clever and cautious remark that he was trying for, but it was too late to fix it now.

"Who?" Alan asked, as he was caught completely off guard.

"Kathryn," Rob said, as if he should have already known that.

"What are you talking about?" Alan questioned, slightly irritated.

"Think about it, Alan. Kathryn was a great woman and the perfect match for you. She really was. But she's gone now."

"I know, Rob," Alan said, angrily.

Rob didn't back down. Alan was one of his closest friends, so he needed to tell him what was on his mind.

"And she's not coming back."

Alan didn't respond that time. Rob could tell he was thinking.

"I knew Kathryn, too, you know. And I think she would want you to be happy. She's up there somewhere," Rob said pointing to the sky, "and she's probably sad to see you all alone, with no one to care for."

"I know what you're getting at."

"Do you?"

"Yes, Rob."

"Well, why don't you go out with her then? She's perfect for you and it's obvious to me that she likes you."

"It's obvious?"

"Yes, Alan. Painfully obvious. Who knows why she didn't fall for me, but Ellie is definitely stuck on you, my friend."

"I'll admit that she's great," Alan said, smiling.

"You see? She's great. Give her a chance to be in your life."

"I already have."

Rob was speechless . . . but only for a moment.

"What? How? When? Where the hell was I?"

Alan laughed, but then he began to get serious.

"Ellie and I have been getting closer. But it's hard for me to continue my life without feeling guilty about Kathryn. I loved her so much."

Alan needed a friend right now, and not the smart-ass type. Rob became totally serious.

"Alan, she loved you, too. She would want you to be happy."

"You're repeating yourself now, mate," Alan said, lightening up the mood a bit.

"I'll keep on repeating myself until it gets pounded into your head," Rob said. He pointed at Alan, "Let Kathryn go and start over. You deserve to be happy."

"Okay, it's finally sinking in a little bit," Alan admitted.

"Good," Rob said, and then he looked toward some of the tents nearby, "I'm going for a beer. Wanna join me?"

"No, I think I'll turn in for the night, Rob."

"You're loss."

Alan laughed and headed into the trailer. Ellie was inside, waiting without anyone realizing she was there. She had been parking her car in a different place, so that people didn't get suspicious. She knew that Alan didn't care about who knew, as they had already talked about it, but she wasn't ready to have his life put under a microscope by the instructors, students, and volunteers.

"I'm going to have to disagree on the whole "my loss" thing," he said to himself as he went inside.

_June 29, 1991 - Saturday_

  


It wasn't even light outside yet, but Alan was already quietly loading his pickup truck. He and Ellie were throwing things into the back for their little spur of the moment camping trip. Alan had suggested it the night before, after getting back from talking to Rob. Ellie had said yes almost immediately and so they were adding last minute items that might be useful on the trip.

Alan exited the trailer with an armful of blankets and threw them in the back. They landed on top of the cooler that he had secretly plugged in before Ellie had even woken up. When the timing was right, he would be prepared with a little romance. He smiled to himself as he approached the driver's door.

"Did you find Rob?" Ellie asked.

"No, he's late . . . again. I'm going to have to start writing him up or something. Anyway, I found Dr. Harper, so I let him know I was going to be away."

"Oh, good. That way no one will worry."

"I don't think anyone would really miss me."

"I don't think you know your own crew then."

"Okay, are we ready?" Alan asked, changing the subject.

"Got everything?" Ellie asked, as he slid into the driver's seat.

"Yep. You. Me. That's all we really needed anyway, you know," he said, smiling.

Ellie laughed and moved closer to him. He started the truck and they began to drive towards another world away from prehistory.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Rob couldn't find Alan anywhere. He had looked in all the trailers, most of the teepee's, and he had even tried the nearest bar. He came across Harper on his trip back to the dig site.

"Dr. Harper, how do you do, sir."

"I'm well, young Tandy. How are you this delightful morning?"

Rob had always liked to talk proper with the much older Harper. It was entertaining for him, for some reason.

"Well, I was wondering if you would have the coordinates of a certain Dr. Grant."

"Why yes, I do, young man."

"Well, would you care to dispense your knowledge with the remainder of the world, doctor?"

Harper laughed slightly.

"Sure. He's on leave. He took the weekend off."

"He did what?"

"He told me he was in need of some down time."

"He told . . . pardon me for saying . . . you?"

"I was the only one around this morning," Harper said, implying that Rob was late again.

"Well . . . I . . . was . . . are you sure he said that?

"Yes, I'm quite sure."

"He hasn't taken a weekend off in over two years."

"Well, everyone has a breaking point, I suppose."

"Did he go alone?"

"I believe the beautiful Ms. Sattler was accompanying him."

"Ahhh. That explains a lot. Thanks for your time, old chap."

"Good day, Mr. Tandy."

Rob walked away from Harper and was very pleased with himself. Obviously, that little talk he had with Alan helped greatly.

"Just add Rob, the matchmaker to my extensive list of titles," he whispered to himself, smiling.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The view was beyond beautiful. Ellie stood at the base of the fresh water creek, taking deep breaths of air. She looked behind her to see how far Alan had gotten with the tent. He had it set-up already, which amazed her for some reason. She walked toward him, playfully smiling as she approached him.

"Very impressive. You did that a lot quicker than I would have guessed."

He had his back to her, adjusting one of the poles.

"I'm one of those great mountain men you read about in novels," he said, turning to look at her.

"Oh, the last of your breed, I'm sure," she said, teasing him.

He let go of the tent and gently took her arm, pulling her toward him. He didn't say a word. He simply kissed her. They stood there in the woods for a few minutes, just being romantic. He looked out toward the creek.

"There's a nice little cozy diner on the other side of the creek, where I thought we might eat breakfast."

"Sounds delightful," she said, staring into his blue eyes.

"There's a bridge about a quarter mile downstream that we could use to cross over."

She nodded. He proceeded.

"Or we can just cross here," he added, gesturing toward the creek.

She looked where he was gesturing. It didn't look very deep, which was promising. And there was an abundant amount of rocks, that made a makeshift path across to the other side.

"Right here is fine with me," she said looking at the creek.

"I was joking," he said.

She focused on him again.

"It could be adventurous," she offered.

He smiled.

"Not to mention, possibly a little wet."

"What, are you some sort of baby?"

"No," he answered quickly, and then he added, "Besides, I'll have you to fall on in case I slip and/or slide."

She laughed and began to walk toward the creek. She was wearing khaki shorts and a white short sleeved shirt, so she was prepared. Alan had on a white short sleeved button down shirt and a pair of dark grey pants. He wasn't quite prepared for the excursion over the creek, but he followed her. They arrived at the beginning of the makeshift path and Ellie looked back at him.

"Here goes nothing," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

She stepped onto the closest large stone and balanced on it. Alan was right behind her with his hands out, ready to catch her in case she began to fall backwards. She didn't. She continued flawlessly over a half dozen rocks, before she turned around to see if he was coming. He hadn't moved from the side of the creek.

"Coming?"

"Yeah."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Nothing."

She laughed, and then watched as he stepped onto that same first stone that she had used.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" She teased.

He was focusing on the rocks below. When she spoke to him, he looked up and slightly lost his balance. His right foot slipped a little, causing him to sway to the right. Then he swayed to the left and caught his balance. After he was certain that he was stable, he looked up at her again.

"Piece of cake," he said, smiling.

She nodded and waited for him to catch up to her. She giggled as he continued to slightly stumble as he crossed the various sized rocks. He managed to make it there without much trouble. She reached out her hand and he took it.

"How is it that you're so good at this?" He asked.

"I'm from Georgia. We've got a lot of little creeks like this."

"Oh, I see."

Ellie looked around. They were about half way across.

"Ready to keep going?"

"Yeah, okay," he said reluctantly.

She laughed at him.

"Didn't they have creeks in Australia?"

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago."

She shook her head and began to figure the best way to get across. She still had his hand.

"Come on," she said, pulling him forward.

He followed behind her, as the choice was taken away from him. They had made it almost all the way across, when Ellie stepped onto a slippery stone and lost her footing, slipping backwards. Alan caught her and put his hands around her waist, as he himself struggled to stay still.

"Whoa. Sorry about that," she said, glancing up at him.

"It was my pleasure," he said, smiling.

She straightened back out, causing both of them to lean to the left a little. Alan lost his balance again, forcing him to let go of Ellie. He swung his arms out in an attempt to balance and ended up turning around on several rocks before he finally balanced. He was laughing pretty hard and so was Ellie. She reached out for him and they were able to balance each other. They were only about four rocks or so from the edge and Alan noticed that there was a large tree on that side, growing out and over the creek. He grabbed one of the branches and used it for balance. Ellie let him go past her and when he was in front of her, she grabbed onto his shirt and held onto it until he got them to the shore line.

"Phew, made it," he sighed.

"Yep. And we managed to stay fairly dry, too," Ellie added.

"Now I'm really hungry."

"Yeah, me, too."

They made their way from the creek and found the little diner. It was a very nice little place and Ellie found the food to be excellent. On the walk back, they had decided to use the bridge to go across the creek this time. As they were crossing the bridge, Ellie took in the beautiful surroundings again.

"So, do you have anything planned?"

"Not really. I have to admit that I don't usually take time off to enjoy the beauty of this state. I'm a workaholic."

"I would have never guessed that one," Ellie joked.

"It is pretty sad, isn't it?"

"No, I was just teasing you. I don't find anything wrong with working all of the time if that's what you want to do."

"Thanks, but I'm not sure if that's what I want to do."

They reached their side of the creek and began to walk toward their small camp. They didn't talk for a little while.

"I wonder what Rob is doing right now?" Alan wondered aloud, breaking the silence.

"Probably wondering where you are."

Alan laughed and reached for her hand, as they walked through the wooded trail.

"You're probably absolutely right."

Ellie was very happy at the moment. She was walking through the quiet and still woods, on a beautiful little scenic trail, with a very nice and good-looking man. Alan was everything she had always wanted in a man and he even shared her same interest for prehistory. As they continued to walk, holding hands, she began to imagine having a family with this man. She didn't bring any of this up to Alan though. Men didn't usually like to talk about those sorts of things.

They spent the rest of the daylight hours walking, fishing, and making small talk. Neither of them really brought up anything important. They simply enjoyed the peaceful day . . . together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Night was slowly approaching. Ellie watched as he started a fire. The sun was just about down now and it was getting just a little cold outside. She continued to watch him fiddle with the fire until there was a significant flame. He glanced her way, as he was kneeling next to the fire. She smiled at him.

"A fire was just the perfect thing we needed," she said, as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. She had changed into pants, but she was still wearing that short sleeved shirt, so she was a little chilled. 

"That's me. Always thinking ahead," he said pointing to his forehead.

Still smiling, she walked over to the fire and sat down on a log that Alan had put there. He sat on a log across from her, watching her look all around.

"Something wrong?" He asked, hoping the answer would be no.

"No. I was just thinking about how cozy this is."

Alan suddenly stood up, snapping his fingers.

"Be right back. I forgot something. It's in the truck."

Ellie watched him hurry off into the darkness. She heard him open a door or something, and then moments later it closed. She guessed it was the toolbox in the truck bed. A few minutes after that, Alan reappeared with something in his hand. As he got closer to the light of the fire, she could see what he was carrying. A bottle of champagne, two glasses and a single rose. He handed the rose to her and then sat down and began to open the champagne bottle.

"You can be so romantic," she said, clearly touched by his thoughtfulness.

A loud "pop" filled the air as the champagne gently overflowed. He poured two glasses about half full each, and then handed her one. She took it and noticed he was laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"As I was coming back from the truck, I was thinking about . . . how romantic and corny I've become."

"Well, I for one approve of this sappy side of you."

Alan smiled and took a sip of champagne.

"Thank you," he said.

"But . . . you know . . . it's really not necessary."

"Well, I think it is."

Ellie laughed.

"You know, we're doing this whole dating thing backwards," she observed.

Alan joined in her laughter. He didn't mind how the relationship was progressing. It was different than most of his others, but it felt right. He was developing very strong feelings toward this woman and was beginning to think of themselves as a couple. It was then that it dawned on him that he didn't know all that much about Ellie Sattler.

"For the sake of continuing our backward start, let's get to know each other a little better now," he suggested.

"That would be nice," she said. And then she paused, "You go first."

He placed the champagne glass on the ground and looked at her.

"What do you want to know?"

Ellie didn't hesitate with the first question.

"How old are you?"

"33. You?"

"Don't you already have that information somewhere in a filing cabinet?"

"Yeah, but I never looked."

"Well, I'm 24."

"Wow, that's impressive that you're so far into the program already."

"Thanks."

"So, any brothers or sisters?" Alan asked.

"Nope. You?"

"No. I have a cousin that was like a brother to me growing up, but no real siblings."

"What's his name?"

"Ricky. Well, now he goes by Richard. He lives in Chicago."

"So, how long did you live in Australia?"

"About half my life. I moved here, on my own, when I was 18 years old. I wanted to be a paleontologist and I wanted to go to school in the states."

"You came here all alone, with no family support?"

"I was supported by my parents. They funded the entire thing. I owe a lot to them."

"They sound like wonderful people."

"They are," Alan said, thinking about them for a moment. "What are your parents like?"

"Well, I only know one of my parents. My mother. Patricia. My father passed away when I was 3 years old."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ellie."

"Oh, it's okay. I hardly remember him," she said, and after a moment of silence, "Well, that's not totally true. I remember certain images of him. I even remember some of the things that he said to me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Like I remember him sitting on this old black armchair all the time. I know he worked during the day, but whenever I think of him, I think of him sitting in that old black armchair watching television. And cigars. He smoked cigars. I can almost see him smoking right now."

"It's good that you have memories of him."

"Yes, it is," Ellie said, but then she trailed off into her own thoughts again.

Alan got up and grabbed a few blankets that were nearby. As he was up, she began talking again.

"I have this one specific thought of my father. We lived on a dead end street and there was a patch of woods nearby. Our house was the third from the end and so I was always trying to devise new ways of getting into the woods. I was a tomboy I guess. Anyway, I remember one afternoon in particular. I began to walk toward the woods and he gently grabbed my arm from behind. I didn't even know he was watching or even home yet. He whispered to me. He said . . . 'Don't go in those woods. Monsters live in those woods.' I remember freaking out because that was the first I had ever heard that we had monsters on our block. I ran into the house screaming."

The memory made her smile at first, but then caused a few tears to well up in her eyes. Alan was next to her by now with the blanket. He put it around her and then sat next to her. She wiped her tears away and rested her head on his shoulder.

"But you know something? I never went into those woods. That man knew what he was doing."

"Sounds like he was a very intelligent guy."

"Yeah," she said, wiping the rest of the tears away. "So, what about you? Ever lose anyone close to you?"

As soon as the question came out, Ellie regretted it. Of course there was someone close to him that he had lost. His wife. She felt embarrassed that she opened her mouth before thinking, but she couldn't take it back now. She removed her head from his shoulder and gave him a little space.

"Well, you know about Kathryn, right?"

"Of course. I just wasn't thinking. I'm sorry about that, Alan."

"It's okay. It would probably do me good to talk about her."

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I know, but I think I want to."

Ellie stayed silent. She got closer to him again and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"She was a remarkable woman. I met her while I was in school. She was the daughter of one of the instructors."

"Oh, I see."

"It's a good thing that the instructor liked me," he said, laughing.

"So was it love at first sight?" Ellie asked, as she was really curious about this other woman.

"Not really. She walked into the classroom while her father and I were having a disagreement about a term paper of mine. She cussed me out actually."

"Wow. What a start," Ellie said, smiling.

"Yeah," he said, obviously remembering what she had said to him in his mind, "We hit it off later though. She was always around helping her father with things, so I saw her a lot. She must have just gotten used to me I guess."

"So how long were you married?"

"Five years. She passed away in 1988. Cancer."

"I'm so sorry."

"I've finally started to adjust now. It's taken three years for me to even think about moving on," he said, as he looked directly at Ellie, "And I think I'm finally at that turnaround point. Right now."

Ellie leaned in and kissed him. He returned the kiss and placed a hand on her face. When the kiss was finished, they settled on embracing one another for several minutes. Alan got into the question mode again.

"So, have there been any significant others in your life?"

Ellie thought about it.

"Yeah. I would have to say two. There was my junior high crush, Joey. And then there was a guy named Henry."

"Henry?"

"You're not making fun of his name, are you?"

"No," Alan slyly answered.

"Good. Cause Henry is a very large man, very defensive of his nerdy name. He was actually kind of a bully really, but he was always very nice to me."

"And you dated this neanderthal?"

Ellie laughed quite hard.

"Yes. He was a very sweet person . . . when he wasn't beating up people," she added.

"So when did you know this . . . Henry?"

"We dated about four years ago. It only lasted about six months."

"What? Did he go to jail or something?"

Ellie playfully hit Alan in the arm.

"No!"

Alan flinched a little bit and then began to laugh. He wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Then where did he go?"

"Law school."

Alan burst out laughing, causing Ellie to hit him again.

"I'm sorry. Sorry," he said, trying to stop laughing, "So, is he a lawyer now?"

"I think he is, yes."

"Good for Henry."

A strong wind gusted through the campsite, causing the fire to dance. Ellie shivered under the blanket.

"Wanna turn in for the night?" Alan asked, still holding her.

"Sounds good. It's getting rather cold out here."

Alan stood up and began to extinguish the fire, while Ellie made her way to the tent. In just a few minutes, he had joined her inside the tent. He waiting until she got the various blankets situated the way she wanted, and then he laid down next to her.

She was still shivering, but she had always been like that. Whenever she would get cold, it was very difficult to get warmed up again. She smiled to herself, though, knowing that there was a very available man just to her right, that would surely help her keep warm.

"Are you cold?" She asked.

"A little. You look like you're freezing."

"Yeah, I am. I can't stop shivering."

"Well, let me see if I can alleviate that," he said, smiling.

He reached around her back, embracing her. She had already begun to feel better, as his very warm arms wrapped around her shivering body.

"How is it that you're so snug and warm?" She whispered.

"I have no idea."

Ellie snickered. She wanted to lie in a different position, so she sat up, gently pushing him away. Then she pushed him to his back and leaned her head on his shoulder. He moved slightly, wrapping an arm around her again. She slowly moved her hand back and forth over his shirt . . . over his chest.

"This is perfect," she whispered, closing her eyes, "Thank you for bringing me out here."

"It was my pleasure," he whispered back.

She lifted her head and turned enough so that she could kiss him.

"Good night," she said between kisses.

"Night."

Alan was more calm, content and comfortable at this very moment, than he had been in years. Literally years. He closed his eyes, holding onto this wonderful woman by his side. He stayed silent as she readjusted herself and went back to leaning on his shoulder. They fell asleep in each other's arms as the wind whipped around outside.

  
  
  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha

  
  
  



	9. Chapter 9: Lost

  


Chapter 9: Lost

  


_June 30, 1991 - Sunday_

  


Rob was outside, indexing some throw away bones, talking to himself.

"Leaves me here alone. With Dr. I-Know-Everything. What was he thinking? He wasn't, that's the point. He's gone woman crazy. Another one bites the dust."

"Who are you talking to, Mr. Tandy?"

Rob quickly turned around, startled in knowing that someone was near him. It was Dr. Porter.

"No one. Myself. Hey, since you're here, what would you index this as?" Rob asked, holding up a tiny fragment of a bone.

"Send it to the university. It might be able to be identified there."

"I thank you, Dr. Porter, sir."

Porter looked at him and laughed. He thought Rob was a wise ass, but he still liked the kid. And besides, the kid was good friends with Grant, so he was going to be around no matter what.

"I'm going to get some lunch. I'll be back soon. Do you think you can run the place while I'm gone?" Porter asked politely.

"I don't know. I'm kind of scared."

Porter shook his head and walked off toward his car. Rob continued to talk to his back.

"So, how's the wife?" He teased.

Porter turned around, answering quickly.

"She's sucking the life out of me," he said.

"You're a very bitter man. You know that right?" Rob asked jokingly.

Porter laughed and turned around, walking toward his car again. Rob was about to tease him some more, but then his attention was diverted. There was a pickup truck heading his way.

"Dr. Grant!" He yelled so that Porter could hear, "Look at that! The dig site has been saved! Saved, I tell you!"

Porter ignored him and got into his car. He was laughing slightly as he put the car in drive. He moved past Alan's truck and slowed down for a minute.

Rob could see the two scientists talking for a second, and then he watched Porter nod and drive off. Alan's truck continued all the way to where Rob was standing. Alan stopped the truck and turned it off.

"Welcome back. Alan and his mysterious date. Oooooo . . . who could it be?"

Alan smiled and got out of the truck. The passenger's door opened and Ellie got out, too. She waved at Rob.

"Ellie Sattler? Is it you? Oh, my," Rob said, shaking his head, "Could it be, Dr. Grant . . . that you took "The Rob's" advice?" Rob made quotations marks with his hands as he said "The Rob".

"Rob, I've got stuff to do, so if you'll excuse me," Alan said, moving past his friend.

"What stuff do you have to do?"

"I'm going on location scouting again today."

"On Sunday?"

"Yes, Rob."

Rob glanced over at Ellie, who was listening to them. He came closer to Alan, so that only he could hear.

"My friend, my friend. Why aren't you spending this day of relaxation with a beautiful woman," Rob whispered, gesturing toward Ellie.

Alan just stared at him, sort of wondering the same thing himself. Maybe she would be interested in going with him? He looked at her.

"Do you want to join me?"

She wanted to go, but she had promised Allison that she would help her move into the apartment.

"I can't. I've got other plans today. I would love to, but I'll have to go the next time," she said, disappointed.

Alan nodded and then looked at Rob.

"See, the lady has other plans anyway," he whispered, and then he looked at Ellie, "That's okay. I'll see you tonight then?"

Ellie smiled.

"Sure."

Alan smiled back, almost walking up to kiss her. But as he thought about Rob's arsenal of questions that were about to come his way already, he decided not to. He really wanted to, but he just nodded and then began to walk toward his trailer. Rob quickly said good bye to Ellie, by awkwardly waving at her, causing her to laugh. Then, he followed Alan right into his trailer.

"So, how did things go?" He asked.

Alan was through the front door at about that time. He turned to look at his nosey friend.

"I'm not telling you anything, Rob."

"So . . . what you're saying is . . . you're not going to kiss and tell?" Rob teased.

Alan looked away from him and began to get the various scouting necessities together. Like binoculars, a seismic reader, water, and some other little things.

"Oh, come on, man! Tell me something!" Rob complained.

Alan grabbed his coat from one of the chairs and began to leave the trailer. Rob was still right behind him.

"Okay, one thing," Alan said, turning to face Rob, "Ellie is a great person. And attractive. And intelligent. And . . . "

"Yeah?" Rob asked, waiting for more.

"That was three things already. Now I've really got to go."

Rob laughed and began to shake his head.

"I can see that I'll have to get you good and drunk before you'll spill the beans."

Alan smiled and walked toward his truck, throwing some things in the flatbed. He looked inside, to make sure his two-way radio was on the seat, and then he looked back at Rob.

"Have you ever thought about taking downers?"

Rob looked as if his feelings were hurt, but he got over it fast.

"This isn't about me, mister," he said, gesturing toward himself, "It's about you," he said, pointing at Alan.

"I'm going now."

"Fine. Maybe I'll ask the little lady," Rob challenged, in a newly confident form.

Alan laughed, as he opened the truck door and got behind the wheel.

"Rob, you can ask her all of the questions you can think of," he said, closing the door, "But when she rips you one in the face, don't act surprised."

"Okay, okay. I'll give up . . . for now," Rob said, and then he added more seriously, "I'm just glad you're happy, Alan."

"I am, Rob. I am," he said, starting up his truck.

Rob nodded and waved, as Alan's truck left the dig site.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


After passing the same rock structures for the third time, Alan began to admit the possibility of being lost. Just slightly lost, though. He wasn't too worried, since he had a radio with him in case of trouble. He stopped the truck and got out to take a good look around the area he was in. There were some very high cliffs in the area and it made for some breathtaking views. He stood very still, just staring out at the sky and all the wonders of the area. Upon a closer look at the sky, it seemed as though the bright blueness was fading away somewhat, possibly hinting at a storm far away. He got back in his truck, deciding that he needed to head back.

As he continued down the dirt road, the weather began to take a turn for the worse. He leaned forward and looked through the windshield, at the rows of dark clouds forming above. Then it started. The rain hit good and hard . . . and quick. Rain pelted the truck, making it very difficult to see very far ahead. He slowed the truck down, as the driving conditions lessened.

About twenty minutes had passed, when Alan realized that he was more than slightly lost now. He stopped the truck and took out the map that he had brought along. He studied it for a few minutes, got his bearings back, and then began to drive slowly and carefully again. The only problem was that he had mistaken his position on the map. He continued to drive out and away from where he wanted to go.

Several miles, and about three map-checks later, the rain began to slow down some. He stopped the truck again, in an attempt to figure out where he had gone wrong. It was going to be dark in just a few hours, and soon dusk would begin to invade the daylight hours. Alan felt completely lost and was getting a little worried about the approaching darkness. As his attention was focused on the map, the truck began to slowly slide in the mud. The dirt path he was parked on was sliding away because of the heavy rain.

Before he could do anything, his truck slid off the dirt path, went out of control and slid down an embankment at a very high rate of speed. He felt his life flash before his eyes, as he was easily tossed around the cabin of the truck. The truck hit a large rock, causing it to roll over. It continued down the hill, gaining even more speed, as it toppled end over end. Then it very abruptly stopped. He was in the passenger seat when the truck had stopped so suddenly and he ended up hitting his head against the windshield. He settled back into the seat and felt the sensation of warm blood trickling down the side of his face, and then something really bad and unexpected happened. The truck began to sway to the right, pivoting everything in that direction, including the apprehensive passenger.

Alan looked through the passenger side window and immediately wished that he hadn't looked at all. The truck had been stopped by a tree. A tree on the side of a very steep cliff. A cliff in which the truck had only slid about half way down so far. The truck continued to sway until gravity finally latched onto it, causing it to plummet once again. Alan braced himself and tried to hold on the best that he could, but there really wasn't a stable thing to grab onto. He made a last ditch effort to reach for the steering wheel, for something to hold onto, but the momentum of the falling truck pulled his outstretched arm away from the driver's side of the vehicle. The truck drastically bounced up and down several times, throwing its only passenger around wildly. Shards of glass from the windshield and side windows covered him, as the continuous spiral downward threatened to never stop. Suddenly, the inside of the truck seemed to float away, as Alan felt himself flying through the air. The last thing he remembered seeing was the ground rushing up to meet his face.

  


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"I wish it would stop raining already!" Allison complained.

"It did come on rather suddenly, didn't it?" Ellie observed.

They were inside of the apartment, in the process of moving Allison in. They were only able to get about a quarter of the boxes into the apartment, before the rain came rushing in.

"Well, I wish it would go away just as sudden," Allison said.

Ellie laughed.

"A little rain never hurt anyone. Let's just organize what we have here so far. When it stops, we'll go and get more."

"Good idea," Allison said.

As they organized things, Allison kept looking at Ellie. There was something that Allison wanted to ask her friend, but she didn't feel she had the right to pry into her personal life. When she could think of nothing but her burning question, she finally gave up on not being nosey.

"So . . . you said you were staying at the dig site. Where?" Allison asked, as she handed a box to Ellie.

Ellie cleared her throat, but didn't offer an answer right away.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine."

"No, it's not that. It's just a very awkward thing, that's all."

"Awkward?"

Ellie decided to confess . . . a little.

"I've been staying in one of the trailers."

"Yeah?"

"Near Dr. Grant."

Allison was somewhat thrown off by that. She knew that Ellie and Alan had some sort of a chemistry going on. She had witnessed that on several occasions. But she really didn't expect them to be staying in the same area.

"Really?"

Ellie's feelings were at a crossroads. Part of her was happy that some of this was out in the open with her good friend. Yet, another part of her was worried about how this would make Alan look.

"Yes. We've become . . . good friends . . . in the last couple of weeks. He's a wonderful teacher and I've learned a lot from him."

"I bet you have," Allison said, harassing her.

Ellie didn't answer again, but Allison could tell, by the broad smile on her friend's face, that she was enjoying her "learning" experience. Finally, Ellie commented.

"Let's just get you moved in, okay? I'll explain everything later," Ellie said. She happened to glance out a window, "And look. The rain has mostly stopped. Let's get more boxes in here."

Allison laughed again, as she moved past Ellie and began to go downstairs for more boxes. Ellie followed her. They got to the van that Allison had rented to transfer her belongings.

"Let's bring in the bigger furniture things right now, just in case it starts to rain again," Allison suggested.

Ellie nodded and grabbed hold of one end of a small table. They carefully carried it up the staircase.

"Ellie, I won't bother you about Alan anymore. I know you'll tell me when you're ready," Allison said, as they made it back inside the apartment.

"Thanks for understanding," Ellie said.

"What are friends for?" Allison said.

Ellie nodded. They stopped talking about Alan and spent the rest of the afternoon, moving Allison's things.

A couple of hours later, Ellie went up the staircase for what seemed like the 100th time. In her arms was Allison's last box. She walked into the apartment.

"Here you go," she said, gently setting it down next to the couch.

Allison was in the bedroom, arranging come clothes. There was an extra bedroom that Ellie had been using for storing larger things, like a bike she had purchased and some camping supplies. That's the bedroom that Allison was taking over.

"So, are you hungry? I'll buy, since you've been nice enough to help me," Allison asked.

Ellie checked her watch. It was 7:13pm. She was hungry, but she wanted to get back to the dig site. Alan should have been back by now and she wanted nothing more than to meet up with him.

"I think I'm going to head out. I've got some things to get together before I get to the dig site tomorrow."

"That's okay. The offer stands though, whenever you want to collect on it," Allison offered.

Ellie smiled and excused herself from the apartment. She quickly got into her car and began the drive back to the dig site. The time of day was just beautiful. The sun was gleaming down on the countryside, casting very nice shadows on the scenery.

  


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Alan struggled to open his eyes, as he attempted to adjust to the bright sunlight beaming down upon him. He blinked a few times and tried to get his bearings back. All he could see were trees, all around him, except for one direct beam of sunlight streaming through them. He remembered sliding off the embankment and he remembered coming to an abrupt stop, and then free falling. Trying to guess how long he was unconscious was tough. The last he remembered, it had been raining. But, now it was sunny and his clothes were just damp, not soaked through. As he tried to come to terms with what had happened, he realized he was on his back, sprawled out on the uneven ground. He lifted up his head very slowly and looked around. Then he started to sit up, and that's when a rush of pain flowed through his body. He wrapped a hand around his right side and winced, as he continued to sit up. As he started to adjust to what had happened, it was evident that most of the pain was coming from his leg, so that was the obvious starting point to investigate. He finished sitting up, and took a closer look at his right leg. It wasn't resting in a normal position. In fact, he was quite astounded to see that it was turned awkwardly at the knee. He tried to bend a little bit closer, but the pain jabbed at him again, so he leaned back. He just sat there for about ten minutes, doing nothing but breathing very rhythmically, hoping that he would be able to stop the short gasps of breath he was experiencing now. When he felt like he might be able to sit up again, he did so, and was able to pull up a very small amount of his pant leg. He was horrified by what he saw. In fact, he thought he might be hallucinating. There, just above the ankle, in the now exposed part of his bare leg, was a very large white bone, punching through the skin and sticking out about a half-inch or so. He began to feel sick to his stomach, as he continued to stare at the visible break. He couldn't seem to take his eyes from it, as if it were some dream that he couldn't get his mind to release from. The only thing convincing him that it was really happening, was that he was feeling sicker and sicker, in addition to his increasing dizziness.

He put his hands on the ground behind him and took a quick glance around. The truck was quite a distance away from him, turned on its side and leaning up against a rather large tree. After thinking more clearly, he knew there had been a portable radio in the truck, and so he attempted to slowly scoot his body toward the truck. It didn't work as he expected. The pain was much too intense to keep dragging his leg across the uneven ground. He stopped and tried to think of another solution, as the pain caused tears in his eyes.

His big solution was to lie back down and not move. That seemed to be working well for him, but he knew he needed to get help. He sat up again, wincing as he did so. He tried to stop thinking about the pain, which wasn't easy. He gritted his teeth, took a very deep breath, and began to move toward the overturned truck. It was during this time that he realized the extent of his other injuries. His left wrist was swollen and hurting, there was blood streaming down his face from a painful laceration above his left eye, and it felt as though he might have some cracked ribs. But it was obvious which injury would slow him down the most . . . the leg.

After about fifteen minutes, he managed to reach the truck. There was a gap between the ground and the passenger door, where the tree had stopped the truck from going totally over onto its side. He wiped sweat from his eyes and reached for the handle of the door. He heard the desired "click" of the door, and then it swung open. Gravity made it come down faster than he anticipated, just barely missing his head. He flinched and then sighed with relief, very happy not to have sustained yet another senseless injury. He grabbed the door for support and pulled himself up . . . and screamed in pain. Then came the swearing. The farther he pulled himself into the turned over truck, the more he swore, as the pain became worse and worse.

He situated himself the best he could and began the desperate search for the portable radio. To his dismay, he found no such thing. It must have been thrown from the truck, just as he had. A few more swear words later, Alan ended up back on the ground where he had started, with nothing more to show for it. He stayed right there, leaning against the truck, trying to figure out what to do next.

Still slumping over next to the disabled truck, he suddenly had a coherent thought in amongst the cobwebs.

"A second radio," he whispered to himself.

He sat still, trying to remember where he had put the back-up radio. The best he remembered, it was in the storage toolbox in the flatbed. He reached up and grabbed the opened truck door and pulled himself up again. After more swearing, he managed to balance on his left leg, while glancing in the direction of the truck bed. He couldn't see into the back yet, but hopes were high that the storage toolbox would still be there. He closed the truck door, and using the overturned truck as leverage, he painfully hopped toward the rear of the truck. He glanced inside and soon after . . . more swearing, as the toolbox was no longer there either. He scanned the area for signs of the toolbox, but it was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't think of anything else to do. The sweat was pouring from his face and just those few hops had exhausted him. He thought about sitting back down, but he shook that thought from his mind. Since he was already standing, he thought it better to stay that way.

He took a closer look at his immediate surroundings. In particular, the tree that his truck was leaning against. It was a tall tree, probably close to forty feet high, and it had many branches coming from it. Many strong branches, sprouted out surprisingly close to where he was located. He decided to try for one of those branches. If he could make some sort of crutch to help himself get around better, that would be much better than what he was doing so far. Hopping was not going to work for very long.

  


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Ellie had gone to eat alone, since Alan wasn't at the dig site when she had returned. It was a late dinner, so when she returned to the dig site, she was certain that he would be there. He wasn't though, which puzzled her somewhat. He was rarely gone this long after dark and she was starting to wonder about his whereabouts.

She turned the car off and went inside his trailer. Maybe he had returned and had left a note or something. Maybe he was with Rob and she had just missed him. Maybe, maybe, maybe. She was beginning to get worried, as she hurried inside and searched for a note. There was nothing. After quickly looking through the trailer, she ran back outside, looking for some people to question. There was always a little party going on somewhere on the grounds. She just needed to find it. Parties were never close to Alan's trailer, because they all knew how he didn't like noise when he was working or sleeping in there.

She walked quite a long way before she finally began to hear laughter and talking. She hurried in that direction until she finally saw a few people. She approached the nearest person, who she didn't even recognize.

"Have you seen Rob or Alan?" She asked him.

He looked at her, but didn't seem to understand a word that she said. He was a little too drunk to understand the English language. She moved onto the next person. She was about to question that person, when she noticed that Allison was sitting on a chair a little farther away. She reached her.

"Have you seen Alan or Rob?"

"Rob was here, but he left about a half an hour ago. He said he was going home."

"What about Alan?"

"Haven't seen him. Why?" Allison asked.

"I, uh, was supposed to meet up with him tonight . . . about something," Ellie said. She didn't really want to get into all of the details in front of all these people, about how she and Alan had developed a relationship right under everyone's noses. "He never showed up."

"Maybe he's sleeping."

"No, he wasn't in his trailer," Ellie said somewhat desperately.

Allison noticed the seriousness in her voice.

"Ellie, what's wrong? Is he missing or something?"

"I think he is. Yes," Ellie said, trying to hold back the fear in her voice.

"Well, let's go call Rob. Maybe he's over there," Allison suggested.

Ellie nodded and the women quickly made it back to Alan's trailer. As they went inside, Allison noticed that Ellie had a key. She smiled, still not totally accepting the situation Ellie had confessed to earlier that evening, in the apartment.

Ellie called Rob and after six long and antagonizing rings, he finally answered.

"Hello?"

"Rob. It's Ellie. Is Alan there with you, by any chance?"

"No. Haven't seen him since this morning."

"Neither have I."

"It's nearly midnight. He's never gone this long," Rob thought aloud.

Ellie could hear the worry in Rob's voice, too. That made her feel better, knowing that she hadn't just been overreacting.

"And he told me he would be back by 8 or so," she added.

"There isn't a note from him anywhere?" Rob asked.

"No. Nothing. I'm getting worried. Should we call someone?"

"I don't know. He could just show up any minute, I guess."

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't?" Ellie asked.

  


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Under the blanket of night, a lone man could be seen limping quite slowly, trudging through the uneven terrain. Alan had successfully made a crutch of sorts out of the tree branches and had been able to make it to a mountain path. He was somewhat mobile, but he really wasn't making a whole lot of progress. He had torn a sleeve from his shirt, tying it securely around his broken leg. He had screamed out in agony while doing that, but now his leg was almost totally numb, with just small intense shots of pain every couple of minutes. He didn't dare put very much weight on it, as he limped along. What was bothering him the most were his ribs. They were badly bruised, with some of them possibly broken. He had broken a few ribs as a teenager, never forgetting how it had felt. And it felt that way now. Every time he put weight on the crutch, great pain would shoot up and down both sides of his body. There was also that added annoyance of having to breathe, which seemed to hurt him, too. The other problem he was having was the lack of warmth in his body. The damp clothes he was still wearing were making him shiver now that the sun had disappeared.

He stopped and reached for a rock that was sticking out of the mountain, making a ledge of sorts. He turned to see how far he had gotten. He couldn't see the truck anymore, but that was probably because it was dark. If he stopped here to rest and then woke up in the morning and saw that damned truck in the distance, that would really mess with his will to survive. He decided to keep going.

  
  
  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha

  
  
  



	10. Chapter 10: Search And Rescue

Chapter 10: Search And Rescue

  


_July 2, 1991 - Tuesday_

  


Ellie pulled up to her old apartment building and slowly got out of the car. She was exhausted from worrying and she knew she needed sleep. But the thoughts of Alan out there . . . alone . . . hurt . . . possibly dead, kept running through her mind. There was a ground and aerial search that had started the day before, but so far nothing of importance had been found. After arguing with just about everyone she came into contact with, Rob had finally talked her into getting some sleep. She didn't want to stay in Alan's trailer, and Allison had offered the apartment to her, so she accepted the hospitality.

She got to the door, fumbled with her key for a second, and then finally managed to open it. She immediately went to the refrigerator and found a beer near the back. She opened it and drank most of it right there, standing next to the fridge. All day she had felt like breaking down, but she stayed strong, so that people wouldn't realize her feelings for Alan. It had been two days since anyone had seen or heard from him, and she wasn't taking it well. She was by herself now, though, so she could cry to her heart's content. She finished the beer and set it on the counter and went to take a shower. It was a long and hot shower, as she attempted to clear her mind and relax some. It didn't work. All she could see was Alan's face in her mind. She kept seeing certain images of him. Like when they were at the creek. She kept picturing him almost falling, spinning around on one of the slippery rocks. She smiled to herself, as she remembered all of the closeness that they had shared in the last few weeks. She longed to see him right now. To kiss him and have him tell her everything was okay.

She hadn't realized how much she cared for him. She knew that she enjoyed his company very much, but now she was feeling as though she would have a hard time going on without him. Could she really be in love? That's what it seemed like, but she didn't say it out loud. She only dared think these thoughts in her mind and nowhere else.

Wandering into the bedroom, she collapsed on the bed, not even bothering to turn it down. She grabbed a hold of the nearest pillow, gripped it tightly and began to slowly fall apart. At first, she lightly sobbed into the pillow, but the sobs turned into tears, and that quickly turned to full fledged crying. Then anger began to set in and she hit the defenseless pillow several times while swearing to herself. She cried herself to sleep, hoping and praying that he would somehow be found.

  


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Alan lay on his back, staring at the stars in the Montana sky. His leg was throbbing continuously, but at the moment it wasn't bothering him. He was in a small trance-like state, almost on the verge of passing out. He focused on one star in particular, as it was the brightest. The image would blur occasionally as he stared at it. He began to feel as if he wouldn't be found in time. He toyed with the idea of dying and his thoughts immediately drifted to Kathryn. All he could do was to envision her face as she took her final breath. He had been holding her hand in the hospital room and she had turned her head toward him. He remembered thinking that she had smiled, although the doctors insisted that she couldn't have done that. With all the drugs in her system, it was next to impossible that she even had a clue as to what was going on. But Alan knew better. The woman that he had loved had smiled at him and he had been certain of it.

He continued to lie in the dirt, looking up at the stars. He forced himself to smile. To smile at Kathryn, as his mind began to allow him to see her face in the night sky.

"I'm coming home," he hoarsely whispered into the darkness.

He closed his eyes, giving up his fight. With the vocalization of those three words, came a blinding bright light. He had to squint in order to maintain his vision of the night sky. He felt himself being pulled into another place. The night sky faded away and in its place, daylight slowly and methodically seeped in. Against all reality, Alan found himself standing. Standing next to a cliff. It didn't take Alan long to figure out where he was, as the dig site was like a second home to him. Confused by what was happening, he looked around trying to find answers to the dozens of questions floating in his mind.

The sky was bright and the day was moderately warm and sunny, indicating that it was springtime. Springtime in the Badlands of Montana was absolutely the best time of the year. As he fought with his mind, trying to focus on what was happening, he heard a familiar voice.

"Hello, Alan."

He immediately turned around. There, plainly standing in the sunlight, was . . . 

"Kathryn," he breathed, almost like a prayer.

She was dressed in the clothes from the picture in his trailer.

"What have you got yourself into this time?" She asked. 

Her voice slightly echoed, but Alan didn't find it to be strange in the least. In fact, he ignored it, just as he ignored the question.

"Where am I? How did you get here?" He asked.

"You're close to heaven . . . the eternal resting place . . . whatever you want to call it."

"Am I dead?" He asked.

Kathryn smiled.

"No, you're not dead. But you are in between life and death."

"I've missed you so much, Kathryn," he said, tears coming to his eyes.

"I've missed you, too," she said.

She came closer to him. When she was only a small distance from him, Alan reached out and embraced her. She returned the embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck very tightly. He couldn't believe that he was touching her. He had longed to embrace her again and now it was happening. A thousand emotions whipped around his mind as he held onto his one true love. He could stay this way forever. He was ready to go. He was ready to stay with Kathryn for eternity.

Kathryn seemed to read his thoughts.

"You cannot stay here, Alan."

Alan let her go, backing away slightly. She wiped some of his tears away from his face and smiled.

"I want to stay with you. I love you," he almost begged.

"I love you, too. But it's not your time, Alan."

"Yes, it is."

Kathryn turned slightly and Alan was suddenly hit with images of his life with her. Their first meeting, their first kiss, their wedding, their honeymoon, their endless days together. The images flooded all five senses, as he was transported back to relive all of their important moments. His tears of sorrow turned to tears of happiness and that's when Kathryn reached for his hand.

"Alan, these are all of the memories that I keep with me. These memories keep me going. I can hold onto these special times in our lives and be content for years to come."

Alan pulled her toward him again.

"I want to stay here with you, Kat."

Kathryn gently touched his face.

"What about Ellie?" She asked, slowly caressing his cheek.

He hadn't thought of Ellie. In fact, seeing Kathryn made it so he could think of nothing else but Kathryn.

"Ellie?"

"Yes, Alan. She loves you."

"How do you know Ellie?"

"I know quite a bit about a lot of things, Alan. Who do you think pushed her in your direction?"

"But . . ."

"You're quite articulate today, aren't you?" Kathryn remarked, laughing.

He was at a loss for words, as he focused on his former wife's facial features as she laughed. Kathryn filled in the void with dialogue of her own.

"You cannot be with me yet. You have way too many adventures to live through still. Ellie will need you. And you will need her, too."

Images of Ellie flashed into Alan's mind. He really did feel something for her. It was right then, when he realized that he must have loved her. There wasn't much of a difference between his feelings for the two women. Looking back at Kathryn, he began to feel guilty for even having thoughts such as those.

"I feel like I'm betraying everything we had together. I don't want you to be alone."

"I'm not alone, Alan. And Ellie is willing to share your heart with me. I can feel that. She is a smart one, as I'm sure you've noticed.

"Yes, she is," Alan whispered, thinking about Ellie's beautiful smile.

"Go to her, Alan. Find her and don't let her go."

The scene around them was fading now, stars coming back into focus and the blues and indigoes of the night returning.

"Kathryn, please . . . wait."

"It's time, Alan. Know that you will always be loved. You have a strong will to live, remember that."

"I will love you forever, Kat," Alan said, watching her gradually fade from his sight.

She disappeared and was replaced with the night sky once again, combined with the chilly night air. He lay there, motionless, thinking of Kathryn's voice. Only a few minutes went by, before something new entered his mind. He opened his eyes and took some deep breaths.

"Ellie," he whispered. Then he began to repeat something Rob had instilled into his mind, "Let her go and start over . . . let her go and start over . . . "

_July 4, 1991 - Thursday_

  


After stopping several times on the side of the road to compose herself, Ellie finally pulled into the dig site. Almost immediately, Rob was at her car window. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep.

"Any word?" She asked, although she could have guessed the answer since he didn't look at all happy either.

"Nothing. They can't even figure out where he might have gone."

Ellie felt herself getting angry.

"Why can't they figure that out? Aren't they professionals?" She half yelled.

"I'm going to go for a ride today, to see if I can find anything."

"Rob, that's not a good idea. I've thought about doing that myself, but I was talked out of it by some of the rescue people."

"What's so bad about it?"

Rob had no idea of what to do about the disappearance of his friend. At times, he would feel anger for not being able to offer much help to the rescuers. And then, sometimes, he would feel guilty about not trying to find out where Alan was going, in the first place.

"Well, for one, we have no idea where he went. And secondly, the same thing could happen to you."

For some reason, Ellie was surprised at Rob's reaction. He was always so cheerful, joking all of the time. It was something to see him so serious.

"I just don't want to wait it out. It's agonizing," he sighed.

"I know. I know it is. But, for now, that's the best thing to do. To just wait by the phones," Ellie said.

Rob looked at her and she could see that his eyes were somewhat watered.

"He's got to be okay, Ellie."

She reached out and grabbed him. They embraced, as Ellie began to cry some, too.

"He's going to be fine. We've got to keep believing that," she said, repeating out loud what she had been saying to herself for days.

  


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Allison tried to stop Ellie from verbally attacking the man a few yards in front of them, but it was no use. Allison had just heard the rescuers talking about calling off the search and she had just told Ellie, who did not take the news well. Ellie marched up to the closest rescue worker. The man was in the middle of a conversation with someone, when she interrupted.

"What do you mean you're stopping the search?" Ellie yelled in anger.

"Yes, we are. Look. I'm sorry if you don't agree, but you are not experienced enough in these situations, to object to my decision."

"Well, let me put it this way," Ellie snarled, as she got closer to the clearly stupid man, "If you call of this search, I'm going out there . . . alone. Then you'll have to search for me, as well."

"Dr. Sattler, please don't talk like that. You have to realize that the chances of the victim being alive and well, after four days, is all but impossible."

"I don't care what you think. There is still a slight chance, and that slight chance is what I plan on holding onto, you asshole!" Ellie yelled.

"Ellie!" Allison said, trying to calm her friend down.

The man just shook his head and began to walk away. Ellie began to follow him, and that's when Allison grabbed her by the arm.

"Please, just leave that man alone. He's been searching for eight hours straight and he's exhausted. He's not thinking straight . . . and neither are you, for some reason."

Ellie looked at her friend. She knew she had decided not to tell anyone about Alan and herself, but she needed Allison to understand.

"I love him, Allison."

"Who? Alan?" Allison asked, completely puzzled by Ellie's statement.

"Yes," Ellie whispered.

She didn't want anyone else around them to hear what she was saying. Allison took the queue and began to whisper, too.

"When the hell did this happen?"

Ellie looked around uneasily.

"About two weeks ago."

"Two weeks? You go from student/teacher to love in two weeks?" Allison whispered rather strongly.

"It was more than that. I'll explain later. Right now, I have to find him, Allison. I have to find him now."

"Okay. Okay. I'll help you. We'll get another rescue guy in here to look for him," Allison said.

Ellie began to breath easier.

"Thank you."

"It won't be easy, though. It's a holiday, you know."

Ellie stood still for a second. She couldn't handle it. She jogged toward Allison. As she approached Allison and another pilot, she saw the man shaking his head in a disappointed manner.

"What's going on?" She asked, hoping and praying that they hadn't found Alan dead.

Allison grabbed her wrist.

"Ellie, he's still missing. They're calling off the search for an hour. Just an hour, okay?"

Ellie was about to protest, when another rescue worker standing by the radio in an ambulance, began shouting something to the workers near him. He looked happy. Ellie quickly ran toward him, leaving Allison and the pilot standing there. In a matter of seconds she was close enough to hear what the man was saying, but she couldn't believe it.

"He's been found?" She asked, with tears forming in her eyes.

The man was looking at someone else when she came up to him. He looked at her and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes. A woman just dialed 911. Apparently, he's in her field."

"Where?" She asked urgently.

The man turned around and began to write the address on a piece of paper.

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Ellie screamed.

The man gave her the paper.

"It's a pretty remote place. There's an ambulance on the way already."

"Good," she said, as she ran, full speed, toward her car.

Allison stood by and watched as her friend jumped into her car and sped away from the area. Dust was everywhere from her accelerating so fast.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie's Taurus actually beat the ambulance to the woman's house. She stopped with a screech and then ran from the car. In her haste, she had forgotten to put the car in park, so she quickly got back inside the rolling vehicle and stopped it. Then she ran toward the front door of the house. The house was of moderate size and it was also the only house in the immediate area. She reached the front door of the giant enclosed porch and peered inside. There were no signs of movement. She leaned back and double checked the address on the mailbox affixed to the porch. It was the correct address, so she started pounding on the screen door. As she was knocking repeatedly, she heard a woman's voice, coming from the side of the house. She stopped knocking, following the voice. She spotted an elderly woman staring at her. She had a blanket draped over one of her arms.

"Are you with the police, dear?" The woman asked, confused as she glanced at the unmarked car in the gravel driveway.

"Uh, no . . . no, I'm not. I'm just a friend of Dr. Grant's."

"Oh, I see. Well, he's back here. I was afraid to move him," the woman said, as she turned to walk toward the field.

Ellie quickly followed, scanning the area for him. The elderly woman was having a difficult time navigating on the uneven ground. Ellie assisted her by grabbing under her arm, as they continued to walk.

"He's in pretty dire shape, my dear. He kept trying to stand, but I insisted that he stay put."

"He is awake?" Ellie asked.

"He goes in and out of consciousness. I was just bringing the young man a blanket. He was shivering."

Ellie was only half listening, as she desperately tried to spot Alan. The grass in the field was very tall, making it hard to see very far in the distance.

"I'm really sorry, but I'm very eager to see if he's all right. Could you point me in the general direction, please?"

The woman smiled. She handed Ellie the blanket and pointed. Ellie smiled back.

"Thank you very much," she said as she ran in the direction the woman had gestured.

Alan was resting the best that he could in the middle of the field. He had been slightly groggy, dozing off constantly, but from the moment he heard Ellie's concerned voice, he quickly pepped up.

"Ellie?" He asked, leaning forward just enough to make himself wince.

Ellie heard his voice, knowing that she was very close. She was smiling as she came upon him, but when she saw Alan and the condition that he was in, her smile faded into concern. She swiftly made her way to him, leaning down beside him.

"Oh, my God. Are you okay?"

Before he could answer, Ellie was already gently embracing him and kissing him.

"I've been better," Alan managed to say, wincing and hugging her back.

Ellie laughed at him and began to take a closer inventory of his injuries. He was covered in dirt, basically from head to toe. Looking past the dirt, she saw that he had about a one-inch gash over his left eye, a very large scrap across his left arm that actually tore the fibers from his shirt sleeve, and some blood coming down his neck. His right leg was the absolute worst injury by far, though. The kind woman had propped up his leg on a milk crate and had placed a pillow under his broken leg, elevating it properly. As Ellie looked closer, she could see that it was obviously broken. It was an open, or compound fracture, as she could see that the bone had broken through the skin. His lower pant leg was ripped and folded away from the break. Ellie began to feel lightheaded, as her happiness began to dwindle away right before her eyes.

"What happened?" She gasped, as she gently covered him with the blanket.

Alan was about to answer, when they could hear the sirens coming closer. The elderly woman had made her way to them by now, too.

"His truck turned over and he walked a few miles to find help. I found him laying in my field. It's a good thing that I go out there periodically to check on things. He was unconscious when I found him, but when I talked to him he had opened his eyes."

Alan smiled at the woman and then looked at Ellie, who was still hovering over him.

"Ellie, this is Margaret. She is the nice woman who was nice enough to help me with this nice little milk crate, and then call for help."

Ellie was slightly amused by his extensive use of the word "nice". He was very much out of it. She got up from Alan's side and shook the woman's hand, and then hugged her, too.

"Thank you so much for taking care of him, Margaret. I know we both appreciate that."

"It was no trouble. I just hope the young lad will be able to walk again."

Alan looked up at the two women. Cobwebs were clouding his mind, but he had heard the negative tone in the elderly woman's voice.

"What?" He managed to whisper.

Ellie looking down at him. She quickly leaned next to him again, grasping his hand.

"Nothing, Alan. Just relax, okay? Help is coming."

He nodded and smiled at Ellie. It was the beginning of dusk and the sunset made everything look beautiful and colorful. He thought she looked like an angel, glistening in the sunset, lingering over him.

  


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Alan opened his eyes and could do nothing but stare at the strong light on the ceiling above his head. He blinked a few times, trying to chase the cobwebs away, but to no avail. There was a spot somewhere on his face that itched, so he brought his hand up to his face. He was very drug-induced and slowly came to realize this, as his hand couldn't find its desired target. It felt as though he was a drunk person trying to touch his nose. After a few more failed attempts, he began to stir in the bed. It was then that he noticed he was in a hospital room. The events of the last few days kept crawling back into his mind, causing him to wince slightly. There was an I.V. inserted into his left wrist and a slew of other various wires and rubber tubes connected, protruding from the sheet that was draped over his body. He tried to sit up, but that didn't work in his favor in the least.

"Ouch," he winced and whispered to no one in particular, as he slowly rested his head back on the uncomfortable pillow.

It only took that one barely audible word to awaken Ellie, who was sleeping in a chair next to his bed. She opened her eyes and quickly jumped out of the chair.

"What is it? Something wrong?" She asked in a slight panic.

He smiled at her. He just felt like smiling at her. And that's all he did for the time being.

"You're in the hospital, Alan. You broke your leg, sprained your wrist, bruised some ribs, and managed to give yourself a mild concussion."

"Is that all?" He whispered, "I thought I was really bad off."

This statement made Ellie smile, which is what he intended. He was starting to become a little more alert now, and with alertness came pain. He adjusted his right leg and winced again.

"Are you having a lot of pain? If you are, I can call a nurse."

He nodded, while gritting his teeth. He couldn't believe the intenseness of the pain. It placed him right back into the middle of nowhere and trying to walk out of there. Ellie hurried and pushed the call button and then went out into the hallway, yelling for a nurse. It only took a few minutes for someone to respond to her constant calling. A nurse walked in, adjusted one of the bags, and then smiled at Alan.

"Okay. You should feel better in just a few minutes."

He nodded again, not really believing her, since it was still hurting. Ellie pulled the chair closer to the bed, sat down, and took his hand in hers. It was the hand with the I.V., causing him to wince a little more.

"Just try and relax, okay? Everything is going to be all right. You just need to rest and relax."

"Okay," he said.

"Good, good," she commented, as she leaned down and kissed his hand.

She gently let go of him and then leaned back in the chair, looking at him.

"You scared me to death, Alan Grant," she said.

"Sorry," he said with another one of his faint smiles.

She moved forward in the chair, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek. She stayed in that position for a few seconds, brushing aside a few strands of his messed up brown hair. As she leaned back into the chair, Alan could see how noticeably tired and worn out she looked.

"Why don't you get out of here. Try and get some sleep."

"I'm okay."

"You look tired, Ellie."

"I'm holding up just fine."

Alan tried a different approach.

"Look. I'm just going to lie here and sleep. There's nothing exciting and interesting about that. Really. It would make me feel better if I knew you were getting some rest."

"Okay, okay," she said, finally giving in, "But I'm not leaving the hospital. I'll just go find somewhere more comfortable to sleep."

"Like where?"

"I don't know."

"Just go home. I'm okay. I'll call you if I decide to run a marathon or something."

Ellie laughed at his attempt at humor. What really caught her attention was his reassurance that he was okay. That was one of the things that she longed to hear when she couldn't find him. And now she was here alone with him, and he was reassuring her. She knew he was right, that she should go home. But she wasn't ready to leave his side yet.

"I will in a minute. I just want to stay a little bit longer."

  
  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha


	11. Chapter 11: Home Sweet Home

  


Chapter 11: Home Sweet Home

  


July 6, 1991 – Saturday

  


Ellie looked at the house that was in front of her. It was Alan's house. A house she knew nothing about until two days ago. She helped him make his way to the one step that led up to the porch. He had crutches and was given a few lessons in how to use them at the hospital, but he wasn't very good at it yet.

The porch was quite large, having room for four chairs and a small table. It was cemented in and connected to the rest of the house. She walked to the front door and used the key Alan had given her. She opened the door, pushed it open, and turned around to face him.

"Okay, let's get you inside, shall we?"

Alan smiled, although she could see that he wasn't looking forward to climbing the additional two concrete steps leading up to the front door. He was staring at them with a look of dread on his face.

"Don't worry, I'll help you. It'll be just fine. Come on, give me your hand," she said, as she reached out to him.

He took her hand and the two of them managed to get him up the stairs and into the house. After they were inside, Ellie took in her new surroundings.

"So this is the home of Dr. Alan Grant. It's more homey than I thought it would be."

Alan looked at her in a weird way.

"What do you mean?" He asked, as he readjusted the crutches and began to hobble to the nearest couch.

He wasn't having an easy time with those crutches. He had never had a reason to use them before, and he couldn't believe the pain in his arms and good leg already.

"Let's just say that I didn't even know you had a house until yesterday. I thought you just lived in that trailer at the dig site."

Alan reached the couch. When she saw him attempting to sit down, Ellie hurried over to him to help.

"Well, I do mostly stay at the dig site. I don't stay here very much."

"Why's that? It's a beautiful house, Alan."

"It brings back memories of Kathryn, mostly," he said.

Ellie wasn't prepared for the answer and the way he just blurted it out like that. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She looked closer around the room and realized that Kathryn must have been the one to decorate everything so beautifully.

"Oh, Alan. I'm sorry. I didn't mean---"

"It's okay. Really. I have no idea why I told you that."

"I don't mind. I just wasn't quite prepared for it, that's all."

Alan looked up at her. She had moved backwards some, awkwardly looking around the room. He smiled and patted the section of couch right next to him.

"Come here," he whispered.

Ellie smiled back and gently sat on the couch next to him. She was about to say something, when Alan leaned in and kissed her. She placed a hand on his face and returned the kiss. After a few seconds, he stopped kissing her and looked into her eyes. She was absolutely beautiful.

"Thank you for coming to find me."

Ellie wanted to tell him exactly how she felt about him. How she realized that she loved him, when she thought he was gone forever. How she was certain that she had fallen in love with him, and with every passing second, she seemed to love him even more. She wanted to blurt out all of these feelings.

"You're welcome," was all she could manage to get out.

He was having the exact same thoughts as she was. He knew that he cared for her deeply. In fact, that's all he thought about, while he tried to walk out of the Badlands. He was certain that he loved her, but he didn't know how she would feel about him declaring his love, especially since he had just mentioned his deceased wife like that.

"Ellie, I need to tell you something."

"Sure."

"It might be a little awkward," he said.

"Go on," Ellie said, nodding at him.

She was hoping it was what she wanted to hear. She waited patiently, as she stared at him.

"I love you," he simply stated.

Ellie felt a burst of excitement come alive inside herself. He had said it out loud! He had said the one thing that she had been thinking for the past couple of days. He had acknowledged his feelings, and now if was time for her to do the same.

"You do?"

The correct version of the words, she had lined up in her head, came out completely wrong. _I'm a complete idiot! _She glanced down for a second, and then looked at him again. He smiled at her.

"Yeah, I guess I do," he answered.

Ellie leaned in and blindly placed her hand on his leg. Her position caused his broken leg to suddenly hurt. The mood was broken, as he winced in pain. She backed off a little bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, disappointingly.

"It's all right. I think I need more medication."

Ellie quickly changed the subject. She had no idea why she was finding it difficult to express her feelings. She had already told a friend about how she felt. Why couldn't she say those same words to the object of the discussion.

"You really should get your rest now," she said, as she stood up from the couch, "You want me to help you to your . . . bedroom?"

Alan felt as though he shouldn't have revealed his feelings. It didn't look like Ellie felt the same way, as he had hoped. He decided to give up for the night.

"No, no. I'm going to sleep right here I think."

"Do you want me to stay here with you?"

Alan looked at her, trying to figure out her mixed signals.

"Well, if---" he began to say.

"Because you should have someone here to watch over you. At least for the first night," Ellie interrupted.

Alan laughed at the awkwardness in her voice.

"I'd love for you to stay," he said.

Ellie smiled.

"Okay."

"You can take the spare bedroom, if you want to," he suggested, "The master bedroom is under major construction."

She nodded and began to walk in the direction of the hallway. She was so furious with herself. Why had she acted in that way? Why was it so difficult to go after what she wanted? And why was the master bedroom under construction? As she rounded the corner, she turned, suddenly getting more gutsy.

"I think you should sleep in the bed. That couch isn't good for you," she said. Then she took a quick breath. "And I love you, too, Alan," she stated, just as simply as he had.

He stared at her from the couch. It took him a minute to register what she was saying, as he still wasn't quite with it yet. He smiled.

"Okay," he said, easily giving in to the order from the beginning of her sentence.

She approached him.

"Come on, I'll help you," she said, grabbing one of his arms.

He let her have her way. It hurt him to get up, but he did it anyway. He wrapped an arm around her neck, while she grabbed the crutches that where propped up near the couch. She handed him one, as she continued to use herself as the other one. With some direction, since she didn't know where she was going exactly, she helped him to the spare bedroom. They had passed the master bedroom on the way and Ellie glanced inside. There was no bed in there. Only a dresser, a ceiling fan, and a wooden ladder. The room was completely white, except for the dark blue carpet. She made a note to ask him about that later.

They walked across the spare bedroom, in unison, passing by the light switch. Ellie helped him get situated on the bed, and then she turned toward the doorway. He reached out and grasped her hand.

"Where are you going?"

"To turn the light on,"

"Why?"

"I don't know," she said, laughing, "This is all a little bit awkward, you know."

"Yeah. But it doesn't have to be."

He pulled her toward him, and she settled on the bed next to him. They both were sitting there trying to think of something to say. Finally, Ellie broke the silence.

"When you were missing for those four days, I realized something. I realized that I had fallen in love with you. That I didn't want to think about going on without you. Somehow, we connected."

"I feel the same way, Ellie."

"Well, that's a relief," she replied uneasily.

He laughed.

"Yeah."

He put a hand on the side of her face, leaned in and kissed her. The kiss lasted a few moments, and then he moved his face away from hers.

"When I was out there . . . in the darkness . . . at first I thought of Kathryn."

Ellie continued to look at him. He could tell she was still uneasy when he would bring up Kathryn.

"It's not what you think. At first, I thought I was going to die. That's why I thought of her. I figured I was going to join her. But then I began to think of other things in my life. Mainly you. Okay, well, really . . . only you."

Ellie sat there listening, as she began to tear up some. He continued.

"I decided that I needed to get up and walk out of there, so that I could see you again."

She wiped a tear away and embraced him tightly. He hugged her back, and then they sat at the end of the bed for a few minutes, with him rocking her gently back and forth. He finally spoke again.

"I think I need my rest now."

Ellie let him go and wiped some more tears away.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Come on, I'll tuck you in."

She stood up and helped him get situated under the covers. Alan watched her look around for something, and then she walked out of the room.

"Be right back," she said, as she disappeared.

She quickly returned with some pillows from the couch. She also had some pain pills and a glass of water. She handed the glass and the pills to him and then she gently picked up his cast and placed some pillows under it. He winced some, and then he took the two pills.

"Why don't I just take this thing off? It's removable," Alan suggested, handing her the water glass.

After the surgery, he had received a ski-boot type cast that could be removed, mostly for showering. And it was made perfectly clear that the cast should stay as is, for a specified amount of time. Ellie smiled. It was just like a man to read the situation wrong, thinking he could take it off to sleep.

"I'm aware of that, but the doctor said to leave it alone for 48 hours," she explained as she set the water glass on the night stand.

"Okay. Fine, then," he complained.

He gave up quite easily, as he knew better than to argue with her on this point. She pulled some of the covers over his legs, and then brought the covers midway to his chest.

"Comfortable?"

He nodded, indicating that he was.

"Good. Let's go to bed."

She walked around the other side and got into the bed, and into his awaiting arms. She laid there quietly, snuggling with him. It was very quiet in the room and Alan could suddenly hear her crying.

"You okay?" He whispered.

"Yeah. I'm just happy. I really can't believe that you're here right now."

"That makes two of us," he said.

She reached around him, to hug him, and caused him to wince again.

"Sorry."

"It's no trouble," he said, reaching over and holding her hand where she had placed it.

Being in his arms was exactly what she had wished for a few nights ago, when she had thought she had lost him forever. She was as happy as she had ever been, right at this moment. But she was also more tired than she had thought, as she hadn't really had the chance to get very much sleep in the last week. She closed her eyes, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat, and quickly drifted off to sleep. Alan stayed awake until he could hear her breathe steadily, indicating that she was asleep. He closed his eyes, too, surrendering to his own exhaustion.

  
  
  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha


	12. Chapter 12: Nightmares

  


Chapter 12: Nightmares

  


_July 7, 1991 - Sunday_

  


_ He fell on the jagged rocks with a thud, landing on his good side, if that was possible. Every part of his body was in agony as he tried with all his might, to sit up again. Somewhere very close by, he could hear water trickling down. He hadn't had a drop of water in a day and he was very interested in knowing where the sound originated from. He stretched his neck around to see what was ahead of him, in the darkness. The crutch he had made had disappeared as he collapsed. He would have used that to stand up, but he had no idea where it had went._

_ He crawled blindly toward the sound of water. The path to the pleasing sound was a rocky one, though. He navigated as careful as he could manage, but some of the rocks were pretty sharp and steep. After several minutes, and to his pleasant surprise, his right hand came into contact with the cold water. Quickly finding the source, he placed his mouth under the flowing water, as it was playfully falling down through the rocks in the cliff side. He guessed that he was pretty far up the side of the cliff by now, but he didn't care at the moment._

_ The tiny trickles of water were clean and brisk. They were cold and refreshing. As he drank, he could actually feel the water traveling through his beaten and tired body, recharging him. Just then, the rock that his left hand was leaning on gave away, causing him to slide forward and down head first. He tumbled and tumbled, screaming in pain. Very abruptly, his forward movement came to an end, as he was slammed into another rock._

_ Trying to regain his senses, he looked all around. Nothing but blackness. The sound of water falling on the rocks was gone now. In fact, he could hear nothing but the sound of his own heart beating heavily in his chest. He attempted to move his right leg. That wasn't a good idea. The pain was too intense. He tried to sit up instead. He was fairly successful. As he was getting up, sudden claps of thunder echoed in his head, while a drizzle of rain fell from the dark sky. Another damned storm. He was growing tired of the constant annoyance from mother nature._

_ Still trying to sit up, he moved his body sideways, stretching as far as he could. Lightning lit up the surrounding area and that's when he caught a glimpse of his immediate area. It was quite frightening, as the lightning quickly lit it up again, and then quickly disappeared, leaving him in blackness once again. The images pressed into his mind involved a very steep cliff just beyond where he was. He was leaning on a medium sized rock, protruding from the ledge to his left. That one lonely rock was the only thing between himself and that very, very long descent, downward into oblivion._

_ As if it were happening in slow motion, that medium sized rock began to move from under his back. He tried to move his body away from the rock, but it was already too late. The rock was ready for its plummet to the earth far below. And Alan was going with it. He felt himself gently fall backwards, as the rock went searching for a new place to call home._

_ His stomach felt like it was about to betray him, as he fell into the abyss. This was it. This was how he would die. This would be his last memory on earth . . . the sickening drop, increasing in speed, as the ground below grew closer to his frail body. A swosh of fear swept across his body, as he continued to free-fall, waiting for the inevitable clash with the hard ground. He couldn't see anything. Total blackness surrounded him. It was taking forever to make contact. He began to think that this feeling of falling would last for eternity. He couldn't take the waiting any longer. He wanted to get it over with already. Suddenly, with another flash of lightning, the ground was seen. It was very close. Too close. He braced his body for impact and then . . . _

  
  


Ellie was startled awake, as Alan rose out of bed quickly. It was still dark, but she could see his silhouette sitting up in the bed. She jumped up, turned on the light on the night stand, and put a hand on his bare shoulder.

"You okay?" She whispered.

There was sweat beading on his forehead and he was almost gasping for air, as he held himself up with his arms. The increasing pain in his ribs and leg from the quick movement, was almost enough to make him cry. Just seconds ago, he was in the pitch blackness, free falling to his certain death. The nightmare was all too real and he was having a hard time getting the feeling to go away. Staring at Ellie was helping, though. He finally managed a faint smile.

"Yeah. Just a nightmare. I'm okay," he whispered.

"You should really lay back down," she advised.

He nodded and allowed Ellie to take over. She gently helped him find his way back to the pillow, trying to be careful not to hurt him. It was no use, though, as he continued to groan and wince at the quick and steady shots of pain flowing throughout his body. Ellie got out of the bed, grabbed the water glass from the night stand, and left the room. A few moments later, she returned with fresh water and two more pain pills.

"Here, take these."

She helped him sit up, long enough to take the pills, and then he began mumbling.

"Lay down, sit up, lay down. Make up your mind, woman," he teased.

Ellie laughed at him and set the glass down on the night stand again. Then, she became serious again as she saw that he was shivering now. She covered up his bare arms, and got an instant positive reaction, as he began to relax more. She reached over and turned the light off and carefully got back into bed.

"You sure you're okay?" She whispered again.

He answered by grasping her hand and holding it close to him, kissing it softly.

"I'll be fine as long as you're here," he said.

She moved really close to him, trying to keep him warm. She wasn't sure when he actually fell asleep because she drifted off first.

  


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Ellie slowly opened her eyes, as the sun was shining into the room. She glanced over to the clock. It was 6:45am. Her first thought was that she would be late for work, but then she remembered it was Sunday.

"You're going to be late for work," Alan said.

His voice was unexpected, to say the least.

"What are you doing awake?" She asked, as she rose up out of bed to look at him.

He was laying there, with his arms up and behind his head, slightly smiling. The pain pills must have been helping.

"Couldn't sleep," he answered.

She nodded and continued to look at him.

"It's Sunday. I don't have to work today," she finally said, returning his smile.

Alan laughed.

"I have my days a little mixed up, I guess," he said, as he slowly and painfully brought his arms back to his side.

"That's okay. I still love you."

He looked at her in a very caring way. All of the things that they had said to one another last night, still held true today. He was in agony, but he was also very happy at the same time.

"I love you, too," he said.

Ellie smiled, but she was worried about him. She wanted to help him any way that she could.

"Want to tell me what you were dreaming about last night?"

"Not really."

He had been having the same nightmare, each night, since he had been rescued. He would jump awake in the hospital, trying to grasp the concept of it being a dream and nothing more.

"It might help," she added.

"I don't think so."

"What happened to you out there, Alan?"

He wasn't sure he wanted to relive that four-day event just yet, but he could see that Ellie needed to know.

"I got lost while it was raining. The truck slipped and careened down a cliff . . ."

She sat on the side of the bed, listening intently. There was a very serious look on her face, as he described what had happened. Starting to feel as if the mood was way too serious, he decided to lighten it up.

"I think that's what happened, anyway. I wasn't fully conscience, you know. I was a bit out of it."

A smile was beginning to form upon her face, replacing her frown. She reached over and touched the side of his face.

"I am so happy that you came back to me."

"Me, too," he whispered, as he grasped her hand, and then he added, "And I wouldn't miss all of this attention for the world."

Her frown had totally disappeared now.

"It's my very special pleasure to baby you," she said, smiling.

"Awww. Thanks."

Ellie looked at him for a few moments, and then clapped her hands together.

"Okay, the babying part is over. Time to get up and have breakfast. You hungry?"

"Yeah, I guess I might be."

"Good. Come on. I'll help you."

She got up and picked up the crutches. He did his best to sit up, as she was coming back to the bed. She rested the crutches on the side of the bed.

"Don't go hurting yourself. I'm here to help, you know," she said, as she helped him swing his broken leg over the bed.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


After getting breakfast on the table, Ellie called out to Alan. She had helped him get to the bathroom and then had left him on his own. She heard the bathroom door open. After he swore several times, he appeared in the kitchen doorway. She watched his mood go from mad and annoyed about something in the hallway, to happy, as he looked in her direction.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said, smiling.

She laughed. That phrase had become a regular occurrence in the mornings. She still thought it sounded corny, but sweet at the same time.

"You okay? Want some help?" She asked, as she watched him maneuver into the kitchen.

"No. I got it."

He hobbled to the nearest chair, trying his best to manage with the crutches. He was in a very independent sort of mood, so Ellie stood by watching him get awfully close to falling to the floor. When he was situated, she relaxed some. She moved a chair close to him and picked up his broken leg, to support it on the chair. He winced some, but otherwise he didn't complain. She decided to get right into the questions that had been lurking in the back of her mind since yesterday.

"So, why is that master bedroom under construction?"

"We're going for the direct approach, this morning, aren't we?" He answered, as he ate some breakfast.

She handed him two pain pills and smiled.

"I figured while you're drugged up, I could get some easy answers," she joked.

He was staring at her in that strange way that he would look sometimes. She had grown accustomed to his different mannerisms, and this particular look drove her crazy.

"Stop looking at me like that. It's a good, honest and fair question."

He smiled.

"Okay, okay. Here's the scoop," he said, leaning closer to her, "There's a ghost in there . . . Boo!."

Ellie looked at him in a funny way, and then playfully hit him in the arm.

"If you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me."

She stood up, to get another cup of coffee, and that's when Alan told her the truth.

"When Kathryn got sick, we were in the middle of remodeling that room. Rob was helping. When she passed away, I just never got back to working on it. That's all."

Now that he was in the mood to talk, Ellie continued her questions.

"Why didn't you tell me you had such a beautiful house?"

"I don't know."

"Why not rent it out or something, if you weren't going to live in it?"

"I don't know."

"Is it paid for?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Yeah."

Ellie leaned back in her chair.

"Okay. I won't ask any more questions. I'm just happy that you're okay."

"Thank you. And I'm glad that I'm okay, too."

They sat quietly, eating breakfast on that beautiful Sunday morning.

  
  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha


	13. Chapter 13: Escaping Into The Bottle

Chapter 13: Escaping Into The Bottle

  


_4 weeks later ..... _

_August 3, 1991 - Saturday_

  


Alan had gotten himself to the front porch without much of a problem. Ellie was still inside and didn't even know that he made a dash out of the house. It was only a few minutes until she had figured it out, as he could hear her calling his name from inside.

"Out here!" He called, still adjusting his right leg, trying to get comfortable.

He heard the screen door open suddenly, and then saw Ellie stop in front of him.

"What are you doing?" She asked, hands on her hips.

"I'm sitting down. I'm resting."

Ellie gave him a doubtful look.

"You shouldn't be walking outside on your own."

"I had help," he said, pointing to the crutches.

"You know what I mean," she said, lowering her head and frowning at him.

"I've been out here before," he offered.

Immediately after the words came out, he regretted it.

"You what?" She asked, in a motherly tone.

He was caught now, mostly because of his own pride and stupidity.

"Well, a few days ago . . . I was out here . . . talking with one of the neighbors and getting the mail."

"Why?"

"Because the mail came."

"Alan," she said.

"Okay. I was bored. I practiced walking in the house first."

"Don't tell me you were practicing going down the stairs. Because if that's where this is leading, then just shut up right now."

"Uh, no. I didn't practice going down the stairs."

Ellie just stared at him. It was simple to see how mad she was, but he really didn't think it was that big of a deal.

"Look. I thought I could make it out here and so I did. I'm a grown man, Ellie. I think I can make a few decisions on my own, based on how I feel."

She continued to stare.

"I'm sorry," he finally said.

She still didn't say anything, standing there with her hands on her hips, in a defensive posture.

"I love you," he said, hoping this would get something out of her.

"I love you, too. But you're stupid."

"Fair enough. Want to come sit down and be stupid with me?"

She finally cracked a slight smile, as she sat down on a chair next to him. They sat there quietly for a little bit, observing the neighborhood. There was a man across the street, mowing his lawn, and then there was an elderly woman trimming her trees in the house next to that. It was a beautiful summer day, complete with singing birds and bright skies.

"Isn't this peaceful and beautiful?" Alan asked.

"Shut up."

He laughed at her. He was going to try and get her into a better mood, when a car horn disturbed the routine sounds of the neighborhood. Alan looked to his left and smiled.

"Hey, look, it's Rob."

Ellie looked, and then got up to meet Rob, as he parked his truck in front of the house and approached them.

"How's the sicky?" He asked, as he got closer to the porch.

"The sicky is stupid, but you probably already knew that," Ellie answered.

"Don't listen to her, Rob. She's not in a good mood today."

"Shut up, Alan," Ellie ordered.

Rob laughed and Alan pointed at her.

"See what I mean. She's mean and scary today," he said, still stabbing his finger in the air, toward her.

Ellie ignored that last comment.

"Can I get you something to drink, Rob?"

"Sure, I'll have a beer."

Ellie looked at Alan.

"I guess you can have a beer, too, since it's been awhile since you had a pain pill."

"That would be nice, thanks."

Ellie went inside, leaving the men to their own conversation.

"She's really good for you. You know that, right?" Rob asked.

"Yes, I know that. She's the best thing to happen to me in years."

"I remember a very wise man telling you that, only a couple weeks ago."

"Well, that very wise man was indeed, very knowledgeable. I should have listened to him then."

"Yes, you should of," Rob agreed.

"So, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Awww. Wasn't that sweet," Alan teased.

Ellie came back outside with three opened beers. She handed one to Rob, and then handed one to Alan, keeping the third for herself. The three of them sat on the porch and talked for a few hours about each other's childhoods and things. Mostly they talked about absolutely nothing.

Rob suddenly laughed and pointed at Alan. Rob had a few beers by now and was starting to feel good.

"Hey! Remember that time when you and me and Kat went over to the next state over?" Rob shouted, thinking for a second. "What the hell is the name of that state again?"

"Wyoming."

Rob nodded.

"Wyoming! That's it! Well, remember when Kat got into that huge fight with that lady at the airport?"

"Yes, Rob," Alan said.

"And then they got into that fist fight?"

"Yes, Rob."

Ellie was finding this interesting. She sat up a little straighter, listening more closely, as Rob continued to ramble.

"And then you tried to stop them and that lady hit you . . . BAM! . . . square in the jaw!"

Alan nodded and slightly smiled, as he began to remember that humorous day in his head.

"Oh, my God," Ellie said, as she looked at Alan. "What did you do?"

"He fell down," Rob answered, laughing hysterically.

"That's about right," Alan concurred, as he began to laugh, too, "But I fell because you tried to move out of her way . . . and tripped me."

"Oh, yeah," Rob said, stretching a bit, "Sorry about that buddy. That lady scared the hell out of me!" He looked at Ellie. "I still have nightmares about that crazed woman, let me tell you."

Ellie laughed at the semi-intoxicated man in front of her.

"All is forgiven," Alan said, snickering.

Rob nodded, looked around and then glanced at his watch.

"Oh, shit. I've got to get going. I've got a big day tomorrow and it's getting close to nine already"

Ellie stood up quickly. She only had two beers in all the hours they had been talking, so she was still very much sober, as was Alan.

"Well, maybe you should just stay here? Or let me drive you somewhere?"

"I'll be fine."

"I think you are over the legal limit, Rob. I'll drive you home. No arguments," she said.

Rob looked at Alan.

"Is she always this bossy?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay. Okay. I'll let you drive. Here," he said, handing her the keys.

He wasn't too drunk to walk and make sense, but Ellie didn't want to take a chance on him getting into an accident. She looked at Alan.

"Let me help you inside first. The mosquitoes are going to get bad."

"Okay," Alan said, nodding and already reaching for his crutches.

Ellie pointed at Rob.

"You. Stay there. I'll be right back."

"Yes, ma'am."

Alan shook his head and smiled, as he knew she would get him back later for that "ma'am" crack, even though he had no clue what he might have done.

Ellie settled on just smiling for now, and helped Alan to his feet and into the house. After making sure he was safely situated on the couch, she headed back outside.

"Hey, how are you getting home?" Alan asked.

"Good question. I'll just walk back. It's not that far really."

"But it's already dark."

"I'll be okay."

"Why don't you just drive his truck back here. He has another vehicle there. He can just drive his car tomorrow."

"Okay. Think I should inform him of the new plan?"

"No, he'll figure it out in the morning I'm sure," Alan said, laughing.

She nodded and left the house. Rob was still standing in the exact same place she had ordered him to stay. She rolled her eyes, as she thought about just how child-like men could be.

"Okay, ready to go?"

"Yep," Rob answered.

Ellie and Rob got into his truck, and then drove away.

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


After dropping Rob off, Ellie pulled Rob's truck into Alan's driveway. The clock on the dashboard said 9:30pm. Most of the half an hour was spent getting Rob to shut up long enough, for her to leave. When she had finally talked him into going inside to sleep, she had left and had come directly home.

She quietly went inside and found that most of the lights were already off. Alan wasn't on the couch anymore, either. She made her way to the bedroom and found him already fast asleep in the bed. He had propped up two pillows under his leg, and from where the pill bottle and a water glass were, it looked like he took a pain pill. She stood there, just looking at him, watching him sleep. He looked very peaceful. And handsome. For some reason, the way he was positioned made him look very handsome indeed. She gently touched his face and then bent down and gave him a soft kiss on his forehead. He stirred just a little. She quickly changed her clothes and turned in for the night, sleeping by his side.

A few hours later, Ellie was awakened by a noise coming from near the kitchen. She sat up and noticed that Alan wasn't in the bed. She quietly and quickly slid out of bed, grabbed her robe and went looking for him. She hoped he hadn't hurt himself, as he was beginning to walk around on his own before he was really ready. When she got to the kitchen doorway, she found him sitting at the table. There was an opened bottle of Jack Daniels, just to the right of him, well over half gone already. He was sort of slumped in the chair, with a hand resting on his forehead. As she walked closer, she could hear him sobbing.

"Alan?" She whispered.

He moved his hand from his face and straightened up a little bit. She wanted to know what was wrong, but she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. He glanced her way and motioned with his arm.

"Care to join me?" He slurred.

He was pretty drunk and it looked as though he was one of those unhappy and depressed kinds of drunks. She pulled out the chair next to him and sat down.

"What's wrong, Alan?" She asked, not really figuring that she would get a straight answer.

"I should have let her have a dog," he said.

"What?"

"The dog," he repeated, and then he looked right at her. "I should have said yes."

"Uh, okay," she said, nodding her head.

"Now she's gone and she never had that God damned DOG!" He screamed and pounded a fist on the table, knocking over the liquor bottle.

He began to sob again. Ellie put an arm around him and he leaned on her, crying into her shoulder. She sat there, letting him settle down.

"It's okay, Alan," she whispered over and over.

"I loved her so much," he said, his face still buried in her shoulder.

"I know you did. And I'm sure she loved you, too."

"I didn't know what to do when she stopped breathing. One minute she was looking at me and the next minute, she was gone."

"She went to a better place."

"You think so?" He asked, looking up at her.

"Yes, I'm sure of it."

Alan slightly smiled, as she continued to hold him. 

"I should have never married her. It was a curse," he said as seriously as an intoxicated person could.

"What do you mean?"

"I married her. She died. I'm cursed."

"No, you're not."

He didn't answer her. He only held her tighter. Ellie wasn't prepared for this outburst, but she had handled it well. It seemed he had been carrying some locked up feelings inside for quite some time. She wanted to comfort him in any way that she could. She was about to suggest that he go back to bed, when he moved away from her and leaned back on his chair.

"I need to get out of here," he said, trying to prop himself up using the table.

Ellie grabbed him, as he was just about to fall.

"Where are you going, Alan?"

"Outside."

"That's not such a good idea."

He was standing now, with her help. He looked at her.

"Why not?"

"Because you should be sleeping."

"I don't want to sleep," he said, complaining like a child.

"You have a broken leg, do you remember that?" She asked, as she pointed to his leg.

He looked down, staggered a little from looking down, stared at his leg for a few seconds, and then looked back at her.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sleepy," he agreed.

"Good, good. Come on, I'll help you get back in bed."

As Ellie began the long and tedious task of getting him in the direction of the bedroom, he stopped and placed his hand around her chin.

"You're so very good to me," he managed to say.

"I know I am. Now let's get a move on."

"Where are we going?" He asked, totally forgetting.

"Bed. Remember?"

He slapped his forehead and sighed.

"Ooohhhh, yeah."

Ellie smiled and helped him back into the bedroom. It was around this time when she began to wonder how he got into the kitchen in the first place. His crutches were still propped up next to the bed. She shook her head, as she wrangled him into the bed and covered him up. She caught him looking at her as she went around to the other side of the bed. She got into her side of the bed and glanced over at him. She smiled, as she noticed he was already sound asleep, that quick.

  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha


	14. Chapter 14: The Third Degree

Chapter 14: The Third Degree

  


_August 5, 1991 - Monday_

  


The sun beamed into the bedroom, as Alan and Ellie continued to sleep. It was 6:29am. When it became 6:30am, the alarm clock came to life, disturbing Ellie from her sound sleep. She jumped up and hurriedly pushed the snooze button. She looked over at Alan to see if it had woken him. It hadn't. He was still fast asleep. She wanted to wake him and ask him about last night, but she knew that would be cruel. The best thing for him at this point was rest, so she left him alone and went into the bathroom to get ready for work.

About a half an hour later, she was ready to go. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and then grabbed her things and headed into the living room. She was about to open the front door, when she decided to check her portable phone for messages. She turned it on, waited for what seemed like an eternity for it to find service, and then dialed the proper number. There were four messages on her phone ... all of them from her mother. She shook her head, as she dialed her mother's number. It rang five times before someone answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom."

"Hi, honey," Patricia Sattler said on the other end of the phone.

"Did you need something, because you left quite a few messages for me."

"Why, yes of course I wanted something. Why else would I call?"

"Mom. What do you want?" Ellie said in an annoyed voice.

"Am I keeping you from something?" She asked, sensing that her daughter sounded a little rushed and preoccupied over the phone.

"No, no," she said, calming down some. "I just really didn't want to play this little phone ritual with you right now."

"What do you mean?" Now her mother was the one annoyed.

"Never mind," Ellie sighed.

"Ellie. I'm calling you to ask you a question," Patricia said, moving the conversation on.

"Okay."

"And I want a direct answer, dear."

Ellie slightly laughed into the phone.

"Okay, Mom. What is it?"

"Well, I was talking with Mr. LaVoight, a few days ago."

"And?"

"And he says that there's another young lady living there now. An Allison someone."

"I arranged it, Mom, so don't worry. No one stole the apartment from under me."

"And he said you haven't been at your apartment in quite a while."

"And?" Ellie asked, trying to figure out something to say to the obvious upcoming questions.

"So, I want to know where you've been staying."

Ellie's mother was always a right-to-the-point kind of person. Usually, Ellie admired that quality in her mother, and had basically inherited that same quality. But when the direct questions were aimed toward her, she suddenly didn't admire the quality.

"I've been staying with . . . a friend."

"Male or female friend?"

Ellie really thought about lying, but that thought quickly faded. If she lied now, when her mother eventually found out, which she inevitably would, then that would bring a whole other layer of problems. She took a very deep breathe and prepared herself for the interrogation.

"Male."

"You're living with a man?"

Ellie laughed. She was 24 years old, but she suddenly felt as though her mother had totally forgotten she was grown up.

"Yes, Mom. Male tends to be taken as meaning a man."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

Patricia was getting mad and Ellie could understand why, but she didn't think her mother should be intruding on her personal life like this. She decided that it would be easier on herself, and also on Alan later, if she just got to the point.

"Sorry about that. I just wasn't ready for the direct questions."

"So, are you living with a man, or aren't you?"

"Yes, I guess I am living with a man, although I haven't much thought about all of that."

"Who is he?"

"His name is Alan."

"Who is he?" Patricia repeated, somewhat annoyed by the first answer.

"He's a scientist."

"Jesus, a scientist. How old is this Alan?"

"A little older than me."

"Define little."

"Look, Mom. I really don't have time for this right now. I was on my way out the door."

"Whose door? Where are you staying?"

"I'll give you the number, so you won't worry, okay?"

"That will be a good start."

Ellie put the phone to her side and glanced at Alan's phone. She picked up the receiver to reveal the phone number, printed on the phone. She put the phone back to her mouth.

"It's . . . "

"Go on," her mother insisted.

Ellie thought about it for a minute. Why would she give Alan's personal home phone number to her mother at this point? She knew, for a fact, that her mother would use it the first chance she had. Ellie didn't want her mother harassing Alan, especially in the state he was in. He needed to stay relaxed and most importantly, free from stress. Her mother was definitely a one-way ticket to stress. She quickly thought of the phone number for the trailer at the dig site. That would be a more public number to give her, and it would be weeks before Alan would even step foot in the trailer.

"It's 406-555-8765."

"Well, thanks for that at least."

"Mom, don't act like that."

"Like what? I just want to know why you're hiding things from me."

"I am not hiding things from you."

"Who is this guy? Does this . . . Alan . . . have a last name? Or did he just give you his first name?"

"Alan Grant," Ellie answered, getting more and more irritated with her mother's reaction.

"So what kind of scientist is he?"

"He's a paleontologist, Mom."

"He works at the dig site?"

"Yes, Mom."

"What does he do there?"

Ellie was finished with the third degree. She needed to end the conversation before her mother drove her crazy.

"He's a teacher at the dig site. He's also the leader of the dig site. He's a very nice man."

"You're living with the man who runs everything? Isn't that a little immoral?"

"No."

"Are you at least getting all A's?"

She couldn't believe her mother would stoop so low as to apply that Ellie would sleep around for a good grade. She decided to let that little comment go without getting riled up.

"Mother. First of all, there is no grading system out here. And secondly, this is none of your business, quite frankly. I'll talk to you about this later, after you've had time to let the idea absorb. I really have to go now. I'm going to be late for a meeting."

"Okay, but I'll be calling you."

"Yes, I figured that."

"I know you don't want to hear this right now, but I am only looking out for your well being."

"No, you're not. You're judging me over the phone, thousands of miles away. You have no idea what is going on here."

"Well, maybe I should come there one day soon and see for myself what exactly is going on there?"

Ellie silently swore to herself, as she realized she had been more or less tricked into inviting her mother to come there.

"Maybe some time in the future. Right now, I'm really busy with getting my thesis together. Maybe when I have a break, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good-bye, Mom. I've really got to go."

"Good-bye, honey. Take care."

"I will."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom."

Ellie waited to hear the phone click on the other end, and then she hung up the receiver and quickly headed for the door.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie's car approached the Grant home, after a day's work at the dig site. She slowly pulled the car into the driveway. When stopped, she grabbed some things from the passenger seat, got out, and went toward the front door. She used her key and went inside.

"Alan?" She called.

There was no answer, so she walked toward the bedroom, throwing her things on the kitchen table. She opened the bedroom door and peered inside. He was still in bed. Right where she had left him. She smiled and quietly approached the bed. As she got closer, she could hear him snoring a little bit. She couldn't recall a time when she had heard him snore, and it made her giggle for some reason. She reached her hand across the bed and gently shook him awake.

"Alan?" She whispered, "Alan? Hey, wake up, hon. You're sleeping the day away."

He stirred, but didn't awake. What she really wanted to do was to just leave him be, but she knew he probably hadn't eaten or taken his medication all day long. She shook him again.

"Wake up, time for a pain pill."

He groggily opened his eyes, yawning and stretching in the process. His vision was blurry at first, but then he was finally able to put her beautiful face in focus.

"Hey, how are you?" He whispered.

She laughed at the silly question, leaning in and helping him sit up. He winced some, causing her to stop moving him.

"Does your leg hurt?"

"A little. I have a headache."

"Well, you should. You drank half a bottle of Jack Daniels last night."

"That would explain it," he said.

"Explain what?"

"The everlasting ache in the back on my head, trying to escape through every imaginable orifice."

Ellie laughed at his word choice. He was always making her laugh.

"Well, why don't you lay back down. I'll get you something to eat. How's chicken noodle soup sound?"

"That sounds excellent," he said, as his head hit the pillow again.

She nodded and left the room for a minute, and then she returned with a glass of water and some medication. He took the two pills from her and placed them into his mouth, while she held up the glass of water to his mouth. He took a few drinks, swallowed the pills, and laid back down.

"Okay, I'll be right back," she said, as she hurried out of the room and toward the kitchen.

She was in the kitchen, pouring the hot soup into a bowl, when Alan hobbled in. His appearance surprised her.

"Wow. Look at that. You're getting very good with those things," she said, pointing to the crutches.

He smiled and hobbled to the table.

"I can't believe it's already 6:00pm."

"I was sort of surprised to see you still sleeping, myself. Did you get out of bed at all?"

"No. No, I don't think so," he said, trying to remember.

Ellie placed the small pot in the sink and then brought the bowl of soup over to Alan. She had a bowl of her own, too.

"Here you go," she whispered.

"Thanks."

He ate quickly, and when his soup was almost gone, Alan spoke.

"That was perfect. You always seem to know exactly what I need."

She smiled.

"Want some tomato juice? That's good for people with hangovers."

"Sure."

She poured him a glass of juice. When she handed it to him, the phone rang. She hurried over, answered it, said a few words, and then brought the phone over to Alan.

"It's for you. A Dr. Hilton St. Claire."

Alan perked up as he took the phone from her.

"Dr. St. Claire, how are you, sir?"

Ellie sat in a chair and listened to Alan's side of the conversation. She knew she was eavesdropping, but he didn't seem to mind, so she didn't leave the kitchen. A few minutes went by, and then he finally said his good-byes. Just by instinct, he began to stand so that he could hang up the phone. He winced slightly, as Ellie made her way to him.

"Take it easy. I'll get that for you," she said, as she pushed him back into the chair and took the phone from him.

"Thanks," he said, still wincing.

Ellie hung up the phone and sat down across from him.

"Who is Dr. St. Claire?"

"He's a colleague of mine. He was supposed to go to Mongolia in January for a dig. It was cancelled, though."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"No, it's back on now. He was calling me to tell me he was able to get the proper funding. So, I'm going to the Gobi Desert in January."

Ellie was speechless for a second or two, and then she finally said something.

"Wow," was all she could manage on such short notice.

Alan laughed.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. It was cancelled back in March, so I didn't think it was important to bring up."

"I understand," she said, still trying to get used to the idea, "How long will you be gone?"

"About four weeks."

"Is it cold there in January?"

"No. It's in the mid sixties, to the low seventies."

"Wow," she said again.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

Ellie laughed.

"Yeah, I've gotten used to the idea now," she said, smiling.

After reaching over the table and grabbing her hand, he smiled.

"You gonna miss me?"

She answered that question by standing up and sitting in a chair closer to him. She leaned in and quickly kissed him.

"Will you miss me?" She countered.

"Of course," he answered.

She acted like she was thinking about it.

"Yeah, I guess I'll miss you, too," she joked.

"Did I tell you that I loved you today, yet?" He asked.

"No."

"Well, I do," he said, kissing her again.

After the kiss, Ellie moved backwards a little bit.

"You're such a sap," she teased.

Alan laughed, and then nodded.

"Maybe I am. Or maybe I'm just trying to be really nice to you so that you'll give me another pain pill."

Ellie shook her head.

"I don't think so, mister. Nice try, though," she said, and then she pointed toward him, "Besides, you haven't given the other pills enough time to work yet."

"You're a mean woman," he said.

"Awww, poor baby."

Alan looked as though he might pout, but then he gave up trying to get more drugs. He went back to drinking his tomato juice that was still on the table.

Ellie watched him for a second, thinking about bringing up what was said the night before, in his drunken outburst. He hadn't brought it up, though, so she figured he either didn't remember it, or he purposely didn't mention it.

"When is my next doctor's appointment? Do you know?" He asked.

She glanced toward the refrigerator, where there was a piece of paper held up with a Triceratops magnet.

"August 24th."

"That's a long way away, isn't it? I want this thing off," he said, pointing to the air cast.

He had been to see the doctor twice since the surgery already. The first time, he ended up with a larger ski-boot type cast that had made him really angry. The second visit, he was able to get a smaller air cast, but it still went from just below his knee to his ankle. It was just smaller in diameter. Every cast that he received was removable, though, so he had gone along with the program.

"Alan, do you want to be able to walk again with no problems?"

He rolled his eyes, getting ready for the same lecture that the doctor had given him.

"Yes, of course I do."

"Well, shut up and just do what the doctor says to do, will you?"

"Yeah, okay," he said, finally giving up.

"You drive me crazy, you know that don't you?" She asked.

  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha


	15. Chapter 15: All My Children

Chapter 15: All My Children

  


_August 16, 1991 - Friday_

  


The strange color formations had grabbed the attention of Logan, as he and Allison were walking. Ellie was with them, too, but she was farther ahead already.

"Ellie, over here," Logan yelled.

Ellie turned around and hurried over to them. Looking where Logan was pointing, she noticed how much certain rocks were standing out more than others.

"Great catch, Logan. This could be something," she said, as she knelt down to get a closer look.

Allison was placing the final details on the sketch she had been making. She knelt down next to Ellie, touching the rock formation in question.

"The texture is definitely different from the others around it," Allison said.

"Think we should get Dr. Porter?" Logan asked.

"Yeah," Allison said.

After several weeks, they had finally discovered something. They were in good spirits. There had been other things found in the area, that they had been a part of uncovering, but it had been a while since this miniature team of three had discovered something on their own.

Ellie was happy that they may have found something of importance, but she secretly wished the timing could have been a little better. She had planned on going home for lunch, to surprise Alan. She sighed, as she knew that would have to wait now.

Logan stayed behind as Ellie and Allison started the trek back to base camp. It was about noon when they found Dr. Porter near the research trailer. He was outside on the steps, talking on the phone. Actually, yelling on the phone, was more like it.

"No! No way!"

There was a pause, indicating the person on the other end was speaking, and then Porter began his ranting again.

"If you think that I will stand by while she gets everything . . . you are sorely mistaken. I have talked to her and this isn't what she told me!" More silence, and then, "Yes. I've talked to her. She is still my wife. I can talk to her if I want to!"

Ellie and Allison gave him some privacy when they realized he was on the phone. He noticed them right away, instantly lowering his voice and covering the phone with his hand.

"I'll be right with you," he whispered, as he went back inside the trailer.

A few moments later, he walked out of the trailer and greeted them.

"Sorry about that. What can I do for you?"

Allison spoke up first.

"We may have found something, Dr. Porter. West Hill, Horizon 2."

"Excellent. Let's get back over there," he said.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie made a left onto Alan's street a little before 2:00pm. It turned out that the rock they had found . . . was just a rock. She had left quickly, wanted to get back home with Alan. She had tried to call him once, but he didn't answer the phone, which caused warning bells to ring in her head. As she drove closer to his house though, her worries were eased. There was a blue pick-up truck in the driveway. Rob's truck. She smiled, as she got out of her car and approached the front door. From inside, she could hear Alan and Rob yelling quite loudly. She hurried inside, thinking they were arguing about something, since the intensity in their voices was very high.

She opened the door and found them . . . sitting on the couch in front of the television. Just as she stepped inside, Rob threw an empty beer can at the television.

"God damn it!" He yelled at the television.

"What's going on?" She asked, in a motherly tone.

"Erica! She's up to her old tricks again!" Rob answered, not really realizing whom he was talking to.

When he figured it out, he quickly got up, picked the beer can up, and exited into the kitchen, leaving Alan to fend for himself. He looked up at Ellie.

"Nothing," Alan answered quickly, shrugging his shoulders.

Ellie smiled and looked at the television. The program they were watching went to commercial and the announcer could be heard, echoing through the house since the television was so loud.

"Stay tuned for scenes from the next, "All My Children!"

She stared at Alan, and tried very hard to keep a straight face. It didn't work. She burst out laughing.

"Soap operas? That's what you do during the day? Soap operas?"

Alan was about to answer, but then Rob came back into the living room. He was relieved to see him come back. Now he didn't have to be ridiculed alone, since it was Rob who had got him hooked in the first place. After hearing the question in the kitchen, Rob added his two cents.

"We only watch on Friday. Nothing ever happens during the week."

"Yeah, we catch up on Friday," Alan repeated.

Ellie was just staring at them. Rob decided her staring was his cue to vacate. He flew through the living room and grabbed his truck keys on the end table.

"Well, I should be getting back to work," he said.

"You chicken. Stay and face the music," Alan said, smirking.

Rob looked at Ellie and then back at Alan.

"That's the great thing about being single, my friend. You never have to explain your actions to anyone, no matter how stupid and/or childish they might be."

Rob flashed Ellie one of his big and broad smiles and quickly left the house. Ellie just laughed again, as she pulled the curtains in the bay window back, watching Rob get into his truck. 

"Is he okay to drive?" She asked, never looking away from Rob.

"Yeah, he only had one beer."

"The one he so eloquently threw at the television?" She questioned, still looking through the window.

"That would be the one."

Rob started his truck, beeped the horn and backed up, disappearing down the street. She released the curtains and directed her attention back to Alan.

"Looks like you're all alone now."

He laughed.

"That traitor."

The thought of Rob and Alan sitting on the couch, being glued to the television, was a very amusing vision to her. She walked across the room and took a seat next to Alan on the couch.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, I guess."

She pointed to the almost empty twelve-pack of Budweiser, sitting on the floor next to the couch.

"I hope you didn't have a lot of those with that pain medication. That would be really stupid," she said.

"I only had two. And I haven't had a pain pill since about ten this morning."

"Well, that's good news and bad news. You should be taking those things regularly, you know."

"Yes, Mother."

"If you knew my mother, you wouldn't say that so easily," she said, lightly tapping his leg.

"What does that mean?"

Ellie realized she may have let something slip out at the wrong time. She couldn't take it back now, though.

"My mother. She's not exactly happy about me being here, that's all."

"Here, as in Montana. Or here, as in . . . here," he said, gesturing around the room.

"Here as in here," she said, as she stood up, disappearing into the kitchen for a second.

Alan waited for her to return, before asking all of his questions.

"So, she knows about us?" He asked, taking water and two pills from Ellie.

"Oh, yes. She knows."

"And?"

"And she's just not happy with the direction my life has taken, I guess. I'm just going to give her some time to think it all over. She'll see that everything is quite all right and stop pestering me then," she said, pretty much lying, trying to keep Alan from stressing out.

He nodded, and it looked as though he was buying the story, so she left it at that.

"So, did you have lunch with your soap opera comrade?" She asked.

"This was it," he said, as he picked up a bag of Doritos from the table next to him.

"Interesting," she said, "Would you like something more substantial maybe?"

"Sure."

She was about to leave the living room, when she remembered something else.

"Why didn't you answer the phone when I called a little while ago?"

He looked confused.

"The phone rang?"

"I would assume that it did, since I called you."

"I didn't hear it ring."

He grabbed the cordless phone, that was on the same table as the Doritos. He smiled as he looked at it.

"Rob must have put it on battery save. It doesn't ring when it's in that mode."

Ellie took the phone from him and examined it for a second, acting like she didn't believe him. When she handed it back to him, he grabbed her unexpectedly and pulled her toward him. She landed in his arms, where he gave her a quick kiss.

"Rob is going to get a good talking to, the next time I see that little instigator," she said, kissing him again.

"So, does that mean I'm off the hook?"

Ellie stared at him.

"Oh, no. It's not that easy, Romeo."

  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha


	16. Chapter 16: Back To The Real World

Chapter 16: Back To The Real World

  


_August 30, 1991 - Friday_

  


Ellie was reading the morning newspaper, when Alan limped into the kitchen. After several doctor visits and a lot of pain medication, Alan was able to rise above his injury and come out with a good bill of heath. For the most part, that is. After all he had been through, he had finally succumbed to the common cold. With every passing day, he was getting stronger and heathier, though.

"You look like you're walking a little better," she said, as she watched him hobble toward the counter.

"You think so? My leg still feels really weak, now that the cast is gone. I'm having a hard time putting weight on it."

"How's the cold?"

"Just about gone," he said.

She watched as he poured some coffee, and then he began to walk toward the table. She quickly stood up and took the hot coffee out of his hand.

"Maybe I should get that for you," she said, smiling.

"Thanks."

"So what's with the coffee? I thought you didn't like coffee?"

"Sometimes I do."

She nodded and set the coffee cup on the table. Alan sat down soon after. She was a little worried about him, as he was wincing and moving fairly slow.

"So, you're really going back to work this morning?"

"That was the plan," he answered.

"I think it's still too soon. The doctor said to wait another two weeks. Why don't you at least give it the weekend?"

"Well, it's almost been two weeks."

"It's been six days, Alan."

He laughed, as he sipped the coffee.

"Close enough. It'll be fine. Really. All I'm going to do is sit in the trailer office and look over some paperwork. I'm tired of this unwanted vacation."

Ellie could see this was getting her nowhere, so she tried an underhanded approach.

"What about "All My Children"? Won't you and Rob miss your Friday soap opera dose?" She teased.

"I'll tape it," he said, smiling.

She laughed, only because thinking about Alan messing with the VCR timer made her laugh.

"Okay. I officially give up. But if your leg doesn't heal properly because you're a dope, don't come crying to me later."

"I won't. I can see that it would do me no good," he said, coyly smiling over his coffee cup.

"That's absolutely correct," she shot back.

Alan nodded and sipped some more coffee. Ellie became very serious.

"You really should listen to the doctor. Why don't you give it at least two more days. Go back on Monday."

"I don't want to be trapped in this house anymore."

"How about I stay here with you?"

Alan thought about that for a few seconds. The idea sounded very good to him, but he knew that Ellie shouldn't miss any more days at the dig site.

"As great as that sounds . . . as your teacher, I'm going to have to insist that you go to work."

"My teacher, huh?"

"Yes."

"I'm not going to be able to change your mind, am I?" She asked, as she folded her paper up.

"No."

"Okay, well let's get a move on. I don't want to be late," Ellie said, getting up.

He slowly stood from the table with the now empty coffee cup in his hand. She took it from him and put it in the sink.

"I'll drive . . . gimpy."

"I'm not going to argue with a woman," Alan said laughing.

"Good. At least you're thinking a little bit."

They left the house and Ellie began to walk toward her car, but then she heard Alan stop walking. She turned around.

"Something wrong?"

"No, I just haven't really thought about the fact that I don't own a truck anymore," he sighed.

"You can always get another one."

"I know."

She nodded and smiled.

"Well, some of your supplies were in my car when you went on your . . . expedition. So, at least you didn't lose everything."

"That's true."

The longer they stood there, the more noticeably sad he became. Ellie thought it time to get the show on the road.

"Let's get a move on, okay?" She asked, looking at her watch, "I'm going to be late."

Alan nodded and slowly limped in the direction of her car. He reached it and she helped him get inside. She checked to make sure the extra set of crutches were in the backseat, just in case, and then went around to the driver's side and got in. She started the car and then glanced over to Alan, as she heard him whisper her name. A moment passed before he said what he had intended to say.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she replied.

"Thanks for letting me have my way, Ellie."

"You're welcome."

Alan leaned over, put his hand on her face and gently kissed her lips. She was still a little upset with his decision to return to work, but decided to forget all about it as he stared into her eyes. She really did love him. And he was so very handsome, especially when he was on his best behavior. She looked away from him and backed up the car. 

They drove to the dig site. Alan's house was near Glasgow and it was about a forty minute drive. As they pulled up, Rob Tandy noticed that Alan was accompanying Ellie. He smiled and began to tell everyone. When it was time for Alan to get out of the car, it was surrounded by students and co-workers. He slowly made his way out of the car and from her vantage point, Ellie could tell he was having a hard time keeping up appearances. He was standing now, but it didn't look like he'd be standing very long. She reached behind the seat, grabbed the crutches, and got out of the car. She nonchalantly walked up to him and handed him the crutches. He looked extremely thankful, as he obviously didn't think about a little detail such as bringing something to help him walk.

"I didn't see you bring these," he observed.

"It's a spare set."

"Oh," he said, as he thanked her.

As he hobbled away from the car, he began to answer question after question about what had happened to him and how he was feeling. Ellie smiled and then quietly interrupted.

"I'm going to work, so I'll see you this afternoon, okay?" She whispered.

He nodded as the questions kept coming at him. She smiled and began to walk away.

"Uh, Ellie?" Rob shouted to her.

She turned around.

"Uh, Rob?" She countered.

"I thought you might want to be here for the . . . presentation," Rob said, smiling proudly, taking his arms and spreading them out and away from his body.

"What's going on, Rob?" Alan asked, looking around.

Rob gave him a look of innocence.

"Whatever do you mean?"

Alan was about to get the secret out of him somehow, as he took a step toward his friend. That's when Rob suddenly went into a grand speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to tell you about the relationship between a man and his truck."

Alan rolled his eyes and began to walk toward the trailer, while everyone else laughed. Rob was about to continue, when he noticed Alan was leaving.

"Okay, okay. Come back. I'm sorry. No more Rob speeches. I promise."

Alan turned around. He was amused by Rob, just like he always seemed to be. He let the jokester continue.

"I'll get to the point," Rob said. He lied, as he continued his speech. "A man and his truck share something sacred. Together, driving around on the rocky road of life, they become one . . . "

Alan stared at him through the first couple of words, and then he turned around again.

"Wait, wait, wait. Come back!" Rob shouted.

Alan turned to face him, a doubtful look in his eye.

"Look over there," Rob said, pointing behind Alan, and just off to the right.

There was a truck coming toward all of them. It was an old run down red Ford pickup truck. One of the workers was driving it. He got out and threw the keys to Rob, who dangled the keys in front of Alan.

"This brand new spiffy vehicle is now the property of one, Dr. Alan Grant," he said, pushing the keys into Alan's hand.

"Say again?" Was all Alan managed to ask.

Rob laughed.

"We all chipped in and bought this hunk of junk for you," Rob said, looking at Alan's dumbfounded face, "So you wouldn't have to ride around in that chick-mobile."

Everyone, including Alan and Ellie, laughed. Ellie walked next to Alan and nudged him.

"I don't know what to say, Rob," Alan finally said.

"Well, say thanks, bloke," Rob said, butchering the Australian word "bloke" on purpose.

"Thanks," Alan said, as he tossed the keys in his hands and looked around at everyone, "You guys didn't have to do this."

"Well, it sure beats hearing you whine," Rob added.

Alan smirked and then walked toward his "new" vehicle. It was the same red color that the other one had been, but it had an extended cab. He looked in the truck bed and smirked again.

"What's all of this stuff in the back, Rob?"

Rob caught up to him and peered into the back.

"Oh, that's nothing. Just mostly junk. Some old steel pipes, metal scraps, and stuff. The guy said I'd have to take care of disposing all of it. So, I figured that you could do that tomorrow or something."

Alan nodded.

"Well, thanks again."

"You're welcome," Rob said sincerely, "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back, speaking of which, I'm going to get to work now."

He and Rob said their good-byes, then Alan began to walk toward his trailer. Everyone else went back to their daily routines and the dig site began to run normal once again.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


The day was about half over and Alan had only left the trailer twice. He was working in the small office in the trailer right now, attempting to figure out what had happened at the dig site while he was gone. He was sitting down, with a pile of folders in his lap, when the phone rang. He reached over and picked it up.

"Hello."

"I'm looking for Ellie Sattler," a woman's voice said.

"Oh, okay. Just a second. I'll get her," he said, as he shuffled the folders and stood up.

"Wait, wait!"

Alan stopped in his tracks.

"Yes?"

"Is this Alan Grant?"

Alan had no idea who was on the other end of the phone, but he felt as though the unknown person might have a dislike for him. It was just the way the woman said his name.

"Uh, yes. Yes, it is. Can I help you with something?"

After weeks of calling, and after weeks of missing the elusive Alan Grant, the woman on the other end was finally able to find the man.

"Yes, you can. You can stop taking advantage of my daughter."

Suddenly, Alan knew who it was. The folders he was balancing, suddenly fell to the floor, with some of the papers spilling from them and floating carelessly. He cringed as he tried to figure out a way to get out of the conversation.

"Mrs. Sattler?"

"Obviously. Unless you're taking advantage of other young women students, as well."

"Mrs. Sattler, please calm down some. My intentions are not what you think."

"Are you living together?"

This woman was VERY direct.

"Well . . . yes," he stuttered.

"And you are a teacher there?"

"Well, yes."

"So, I'll say it again, sir. Stop taking advantage of my daughter."

Alan just stood there, with the phone to his ear, stunned. This woman was very outspoken. Very. Ellie had warned him about her . . . and how she had felt about the situation, but he had always assumed that he would be able to reason with her. That was a huge mistake. The entire introduction had gone sour now, and he was beginning to feel like he was on trial . . . and that the jury had already made up its mind before any evidence was presented.

"I'm not going to get into a debate over the phone, Mrs. Sattler. Did you want to talk to Ellie?"

"Obviously," Patricia said.

Alan took a breath, for he didn't want to sound like she had spooked and angered him.

"All right, just a minute."

"How old are you?"

Alan, again, stood there in disbelief. This woman was more forward than anyone he had ever met. He decided to answer the question directly.

"I'm 33."

"33!" She screamed, "33? That's almost 10 years in age difference!"

Alan began to limp toward the trailer door, desperately looking for Ellie. Initially, he didn't see her, but then he spotted her near one of the water towers. He put the phone against his chest and opened the door. Patricia's very angry voice could still be heard through the phone, as Alan yelled to Ellie.

"Ellie!"

Ellie was taking a drink of water, when she heard him yell for her. He sounded somewhat urgent, as she spun around. She hoped he hadn't hurt his leg.

"Yeah?"

He held up the phone.

"Your mother."

Ellie smirked, as she hurriedly walked toward him.

"Uh-oh," she sighed.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


It was dusk and most everyone had called it a night. Alan was still waiting for Ellie to come back from the field. He had rested inside the trailer for most of the day, since his leg was hurting more than he thought it would. He heard some shuffling outside. He went to the front door and found Ellie out by his truck, putting things back in the truck bed. He limped outside to greet her.

"Hey."

Ellie turned around. Her face was covered in dust, but she still looked beautiful to Alan. He smiled at her, as she walked up to him.

"So, are we staying here? Or the house?" She asked.

"I'd rather go to the house."

"That's okay with me. Whatever works better for you," she said.

"You were right," he said looking at the ground.

"Huh?"

"I shouldn't have tried coming back to work so soon."

"Well, I think you did fine considering everything."

"You mean your mother?"

"Yeah. That would be the everything part," she sighed.

"She just doesn't know me, that's all."

"What did she say to you?"

"Nothing really," Alan lied. "She just asked for you."

"Alan," Ellie said, knowing that most definitely was not true.

"No, really. That's it. Well, that's all I care to divulge at the moment, anyway."

"Have it your way . . . for now . . . Dr. Grant," Ellie teased.

Alan shook his head and then got into the truck on the passenger side. Ellie went around to the driver's side and got in. When she was in the truck, she noticed Alan was reading something. After several minutes, he laughed and shook his head again.

"What great friends and family I have here," he said, holding up the paper. There was a box on the floor of the truck. Clearly the paper went along with it. He handed it to Ellie, still laughing. She took it from him and read it to herself:

  


_THE BOLT-ON FRACTURE REPAIR KIT_

_Don't let that broken leg spoil your day on the hill!_

  


_Mountain bikers carry repair kits to meet almost every eventuality: now the Bolt-On Fracture Repair Kit gives you, the hill-walker, that same confidence! Here's what to do with that inconvenient compound fracture of tibia and fibula when you're miles from anywhere:_

  


_ * Tidy up the fracture site. Pluck away any heather or grass from protruding bone ends. Wipe off excess mud. Save any loose bits of bone in a sealed container. ("Tupperware" salt or sugar containers are ideal for this purpose.)_

  


_ * Gel the bone ends lack in line, Attach one end of the Bolt-On Traction Device to a handy tree or rock. Fix the other end to your boot, just like a crarnpon strap! ("Step-in" fittings available on request.) Now pull! Push firmly over the fracture site with the thumbs of both hands to help realign the bones. (A little grinding and bleeding is normal at this point, but you should stop if any "spurting" occurs.)_

  


_ * Check the result. Are both your legs roughly the same length? Do both your feet point in the same direction? If not, try again._

  


_ * Begin the repair. Find the battery-powered drill and the quarter-inch bit, and assemble. Check the diagram, and drill a hole in the tibia (the "shin-bone') below the level of the break. Try to use a single, smooth motion for this: some discomfort (or "pain") is likely as you penetrate the skin and bony covering, and speed will help you to avoid losing consciousness at all-important point. Now remove the drill-bit, set it aside carefully in a clean place (you will need it again!), and fit one of the threaded quarter-inch rods into the drill chuck. Screw it into the hole you have just prepared, using short, sharp bursts of drill power. (Do not force the drill at any time: this could "explode" the bone and make your repair more difficult.)_

  


_ * Fit the other three rods in the same way. Add one more rod below the break and two above it, lined up neatly along the shin-bone, as shown on the diagram. If you make a mistake, don't worry: the drill has enough stored power to make at least twenty attempts!_

  


_ * Add the support strut. Undo all the locking points on the Bolt-On Support Strut with the Allen key provided. Slip it over the ends of the four rods. Make one last check on leg length and foot position, and then tighten all the nuts. (There are sixteen: don't forget any!)_

  


_ * Now try out your repaired leg! Walk up and down a little to get the feel of it. Inevitably, you'll find that it doesn't feel entirely "normal" to you. But don't fiddle with it just yet: take a few more paces, and you'll probably get right back into your usual walking rhythm. If you do find yourself walking in circles, or unable to lift the foot high enough to clear small obstacles, then sit down, loosen off the strut, and readjust the fracture until it feels more "comfortable"._

  


_Caution: We do not recommend using the Bolt-On for more than a single day in the hills. The rods can seriously damage bivvy-bags or down sleeping-bags if used for overnight camping. If the bone is still "bendy" after six weeks, seek the advice of your GP (Remember to take those spare bits of bone with you to the surgery!)_

  


The box on the floor was a mock up of what the "BOLT-ON FRACTURE REPAIR KIT" looked like. She laughed out loud, as she handed the paper back to him and looked at the picture on the box.

"I wonder where they got this? It's hilarious," she said.

"Yeah, really funny, unless it actually happens to you."

"Oh, Alan, lighten up."

"I bet it was Rob."

"Yeah, probably. He's always doing silly things."

Still laughing, Ellie started the truck. She was about to put the truck in drive, when Alan saw someone approaching them from the right.

"Hold on. I think it's Rob."

"Speak of the devil," she said.

Alan smiled and rolled down the window. Rob jogged the rest of the way to them, catching up to the truck in a few seconds.

"Get my little . . . welcome back present?" He asked, snickering.

Alan reached down on the floor, grabbed the box and showed it to him. Rob noticed the look on Alan's face. It wasn't a happy look like he had hoped, causing his own happiness to fade some. The jokester was about to continue on, sure to dig himself a deeper grave, when Ellie interrupted.

"He did laugh, Rob. No matter what he might say to you."

Rob's smile snuck back on his face, as he leaned on the passenger side door.

"I knew he still had a sense of humor."

Alan finally smiled, in spite of himself. Now that he was somewhat happy, Rob took the opportunity to ask him the question he was about to ask before the joke sort of backfired.

"You two want to go get something to eat?"

Ellie was saying yes and Alan was shaking his head no, which caused Rob to laugh again.

"What a cute couple you two make," Rob commented.

"Couple?" Ellie questioned.

Rob changed the subject, as he really didn't want to go into the details of everyone knowing about the two of them. He had made the mistake of telling one person. Okay, two people. And now word had gotten around.

"Alan, Alan. Looks like the lady wants to go. And everyone knows that the male species obeys the dominate female species. So . . . how does Leon's sound?"

Alan rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Why not," he said, giving into Rob . . . and mostly Ellie.

"Good, good. Wise choice, my friend. You don't want to go around upsetting Ellie."

"Shut up, Rob," Ellie said laughing.

Rob let go of the door and held up his hands.

"Okay. I know when I'm ahead. I'll go get my truck and meet you there," he said to Ellie, as he turned around.

"Why don't you just come with us?" Alan shouted.

Rob turned around.

"Well, this way you don't have to come back here. You've had enough of this place already, haven't you?"

"Good point," Alan answered, nodding, "We'll meet you there then."

Rob nodded and turned around again, running in the direction of his vehicle. Alan and Ellie couldn't see it in the distance. It was already too dark.

"Let's go now. That'll give me a few extra minutes to get into the restaurant."

"Okay," she said, as they began to drive down on of the many dirt roads that led out of the dig site. After looking both ways, she pulled the truck out onto the two-lane highway. She noticed that Alan was very quiet.

"Everything okay?" She asked, grabbing his attention away from the darkness of the field he had been starring at.

"Yeah," he answered after a pause.

He still had the window down and he was leaning his head toward it, letting the warm air slam against his face. He was in a trance-like state, just staring out at the scenery outside, as it whizzed by in a blur. As he began to come out of the trance, he realized that he didn't have his pain pills. His pain level was increasing again, but he had left the pill bottle at the trailer. He was about to get Ellie to turn around, when he just silently decided to forget about it, since he had more at home anyway. He was momentarily dragged from his thoughts, as Ellie spoke.

"All right then."

She watched him nod. She could tell something was wrong, but she wasn't exactly sure how she was going to get it out of him. She figured talking to her mother probably drained whatever energy he had stored. Plus, he was just getting over a cold, so that was, more than likely, bringing him down some. She decided not to pry at the moment, though, leaving it for later.

After about five minutes, they pulled into the parking lot at "Leon's Family Dining". It wasn't a fancy place, but it did have good food and friendly employees. It was run by Leon's widow, Mary, and she took very good care of her customers, which was the reason Rob frequented the place.

All of the parking places near the entrance were taken.

"Want me to drop you off at the entrance?"

"No, I'll be fine. A little exercise will do me good."

She smiled, but on the inside she was worried about him. He looked totally exhausted from the day's work and he hardly even left the trailer all day.

"Alan, you look like you're ready for bed."

"I'm tired, but I'll make it."

"I'll just tell Rob we're going home when he gets here, okay? I don't want you over-extending yourself for me."

"But I'm hungry, too."

"I can make you something at home," she said, as she parked the truck. "How about a scrambled egg sandwich?"

He laughed. Alan liked the way she called the house in Glasgow . . . home. It was exactly how he felt about it, too. It was their home. But that wasn't the point at the moment, as he realized she was still staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"No, it's okay. That would disappoint Rob anyway."

He was looking at her, when he noticed her attention was diverted outside of the truck, on his side. He was about to look for himself, but someone reached through the open window and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, violently pulling him toward the door. As he hit the door, it opened, and he was dragged out and thrown to the dirt parking lot. He hit very hard, as the person who grabbed him made sure of it.

Ellie could see the silhouettes of two men on Alan's side of the truck. As she watched them drag Alan, she blindly reached to her left to open her door. She was startled as the door was forced shut again from the outside. She caught a glimpse of another man on her side, smiling as he held her door shut. She stared at that man for a second and then her attention was grabbed by the kicking and screaming happening on the passenger side of the truck. Her rage growing and growing, she began to slide across the seat and toward the still opened passenger door. When she was about to get out, she heard someone shout and then the two men kicking and screaming at Alan stopped.

"Okay, okay. Don't save all the fun for yourselves."

It was dark, but Ellie recognized the man instantly.

"Raymond," she growled under her breath.

The other men were rather large and, to her disbelief, one of those men was Greg Diamond. He looked to be the one who had grabbed Alan, throwing him to the dirt. When see caught sight of him, he had Alan by the back of his hair, holding him off the ground. She watched as he delivered a quick and final punch to his face, letting him collapse back to the dirt again. Alan groaned as he reached a hand over the side of his face.

None of the men were looking in her direction. They were all looking beyond the front of the truck, toward Raymond. Raymond made eye contact with her and smiled, walking toward the passenger side of the truck. Ellie watched him walk all the way to where Alan was and when she looked around, she noticed that the man from the driver's side door had joined the rest of them. She hurried out of the truck and got to Alan, who was just lying there in a heap. She leaned down next to him.

"Alan?" She whispered, as she watched the men close in again.

He turned on his right side, wincing as he did so. There were traces of blood trickling down the side of his face.

"What the hell happened?" He gasped.

"Raymond," was her short answer.

Alan nodded, showing her that he understood, and then he looked past her. He could see the dark silhouettes of at least three large men, coming closer to him. He was worried about his well being, but he was more concerned for Ellie at the moment.

"Ellie, get out of here. Please," he managed to say before the men were right on top of him again.

He put his arms up to protect himself as the three men began their return attacks. Ellie wasn't about to leave him there, defenseless. She jumped up and went after Greg, who was the nearest one to her. She punched him in the face, surprising him. It was enough to make him stop attacking Alan and hold his nose, as the blood poured. In a blinding rage, Greg leaped forward and ran into Ellie, pushing her into the side of the truck. The two of them struck the side of the vehicle with great speed and force, causing Ellie to hurt herself. She had no time to think about that, as Greg grabbed her by the forearm, getting ready to stop this woman so that he could get back to the prize. While trying to wrestle herself away from the ex-student, Ellie ended up turning around and facing the truck. She looked into the back and smiled, as she reached for one of the steel pipes conveniently resting in the truck bed.

Alan continued to get kicked by the other two men. He did his best to protect his injured areas, but the men would just work on whatever area he wasn't protecting at the moment. As he continued to defend himself, he could see Ellie struggling with one of the men. It angered him, just enough, to stop him from defending himself and to go into attack mode. He focused his vision on the legs of one of the men very close to him. He reached out, grabbed his leg, and pulled as hard as he could. The surprised man lost his balance and fell to the ground hard. It was a short victory, though, as the remaining man kicked him in the head. All and all, with Ellie still occupying the other man and Alan tripping another, he was mostly successful in his defense. That is, until Raymond joined in.

Raymond didn't appear drunk this time. Only very angry. He began to kick at his enemy's leg with an explosive locked-up fury. The violent kicks caused Alan to scream out in pain, as he reached down and gripped his leg tightly. After all of these weeks of healing, he had thought it would hold up a little better, but it quickly began hurting just as it did when it had first happened. After several well placed and well-timed kicks, Raymond stopped to catch his breath. Unknown to everyone, Raymond had equipped one of his boots with a small razor on the toe, inflicting more damage than anyone had realized. The other man still kicking Alan, saw that Raymond had stopped, so he followed suit.

The man Alan had tripped had gotten back up, while Ellie was successfully keeping Greg at bay. She had been swinging at the bloodied annoyance with the steel pipe repeatedly, hitting him every once in a while. She stopped when she heard Alan shout out in agony, quickly followed by Raymond's voice.

"I suggest you stop that," he said to her.

She walked toward him, with the steel pipe in hand. Her "victim" was sprawled out in the dirt, still holding his nose.

"I suggest YOU stop," she said gesturing with her weapon.

Raymond laughed.

"There are three of us left and," he said, glancing down at Alan, "really only one of you. I don't think you're going to win."

Ellie could see two very bad things about the situation. Raymond was clearly sober right now and his choice in friends was much bigger than before, in the bar. That didn't stop her from verbalizing her anger, though. She glanced down at Alan, who was reeling in pain on the ground, and then she stared back at Raymond.

"Maybe not. But I will, at the very least, knock the hell out of you with this damn pipe."

Raymond nodded to the man standing next to Alan. The man nodded back and kicked Alan in the ribs, causing him to cough and groan. He was focused on holding his injured leg and Ellie could see that he was in too much pain to protect himself anymore. Her anger began to fade to worry, as she tried to figure out what she was going to do.

As the standoff continued, headlights were seen from another vehicle in the parking lot off to the right. The headlights had flashed on very quickly, just as the mystery vehicle pulled alongside Raymond and Ellie. To Ellie, it wasn't hard to guess who it was, especially after what happened next. The driver quickly opened his door, just in time to hit the unsuspecting Raymond with it. Raymond was knocked to the ground, as the truck stopped and Rob Tandy hurried over to Ellie.

"What's going on?" He asked, very much aware of what was going on, as he glanced at Alan on the ground.

Raymond was already being helped up by his two friends closest to Alan. He brushed the dirt from his clothes, straightened out his shirt and his hair, and then spoke.

"Dr. Grant was just being taught a lesson. It's over for now," Raymond said, gesturing for his friends to get a move on.

"A lesson?" Rob asked, watching all of the men closely.

"He shouldn't start fights that he can't finish. And he shouldn't dismiss students that do nothing wrong. We were just showing him what it's like to be on the losing end of a battle."

Ellie was about to voice her opinion, but then stopped herself. She had already learned that anything she would say would most definitely be taken out on Alan, so she just bit her tongue.

It wasn't until the mention of a dismissed student, that Rob noticed Greg was there. Anger began to build inside of him, as he thought about Greg actually helping plan this little attack. And, as if right on queue, Ellie handed him the steel pipe.

One of the men went over and grabbed Greg. On the way back to Raymond, the bloodied boy kicked Alan in the head, since he hadn't had the opportunity to properly assault the intended victim. Rob took several steps forward and threw a very powerful punch into the side of Greg's head, causing him to fall down again. He was picked up, yet again, and pulled him away from Rob and Ellie.

Raymond backed off, mumbling something to the three men. With Rob there for support, Ellie went to Alan to see how he was doing. She leaned down and gently touched his shoulder. He was laying sideways, facing away from her.

"Alan?"

He didn't answer and she could see that he had a very tight grip on his right leg. His hand was in the way, so she couldn't see the blood that had begun to seep through.

"Alan, look at me."

He slowly turned his head to look at her. She had already expected him to be in agony, but when she saw his face she realized that he would probably need to go to the hospital. He was, indeed, in an extreme amount of pain, but when he caught a glimpse of Ellie's concerned face, he was determined to play his injury down.

"I'm okay. Just give me a few minutes," he said, as calmly as he could muster.

She nodded at him, happy that he was talking and making sense. Rob was next to her now and she wasn't sure how long he had been there.

"What happened to Raymond?" She asked.

"He left. The others followed him," Rob explained.

Ellie was relieved to hear that.

"Can you help me get him up?" She asked, as she glanced up at him.

"Sure," he said, leaning over.

Alan still wasn't quite ready to be mobile, though.

"I just want to catch my breath for a second, so hold on," he protested.

"You're the boss," Rob said, and then he looked at Ellie, "He may need to go to the hospital."

She was about to agree, when they were interrupted by Alan.

"Why must you talk about me like I'm not even here? I don't need to see a doctor. I'm fine."

Ellie could see that he was irritable. She knew how tough it was going to be to get him to accept the prospect of going to the hospital, but she was still worried enough to mention it.

"Okay. I'll tell you what. If you'll try getting to your feet now, Rob and I will think about not driving you straight to emergency."

Rob laughed.

"I think that may be the best offer you're going to get."

Alan laughed, too, and answered her offer by extending an arm toward her. Ellie grabbed one arm, while Rob grabbed the other. They got him to see feet fairly easily, accompanied by a few grunts and groans from Alan. The attackers had worked on his ribs very well, causing him a tremendous amount of discomfort.

"Maybe we should take him into Leon's. Take a look at his leg in the light," Rob suggested.

Alan wasn't sure about that, but he didn't continue to argue. He let them help him across the parking lot.

"We should call the police when we get inside, too," Ellie added.

"Do you really think that's necessary?" Alan asked, as they made it to the door.

Rob reached out and opened the door. Ellie kept a watchful eye on Alan as he continued to wince and groan. They helped him up the two steps and into the lobby. She finally answered his question regarding the police.

"Well, I think it's very necessary. Look at you. You can't even walk without help. That damn guy deserves a night or two in jail. And so does Greg."

"Greg was there?" Alan said, surprised.

"Yeah. He was the one who dragged you from the truck," Ellie answered.

"Guess he's still mad," Rob added.

Alan slightly laughed, wincing as he did so.

"We need to find the phone," Ellie said.

Alan felt the need to disagree, but decided to stop arguing with her. He was hurting too much to fight about it. The hostess approached them.

"Table for three?" She asked.

Rob laughed.

"Uh, no. But we do need to get my friend here to a stationary place . . . preferably a chair."

The hostess was a little flustered, but was able to figure things out when she noticed blood trickling from the mouth of the man they were holding up.

"What happened?" She asked, giving them a chair.

"It's nothing really ---" Alan began to say, as Ellie and Rob sat him in the chair.

"Some men attacked him outside. One of them was Raymond, the tow truck driver," Ellie said, cutting Alan off.

"Oh, my," the hostess said, "Let me go get Mary."

The hostess left and few seconds later, Mary appeared. Mary was in her 60's, with graying hair, set in a bun. She was a very nice and kind woman, who cared about most people like they were her very own children.

"Jessie just told me what happened. Anything I can get for you? I'll call the police, that is if you want to file a report?"

Alan shook his head no, while Ellie verbally said yes. The difference in opinion confused Mary. While they were trying to clear up things, Rob noticed blood soaking through Alan's lower pant leg. He carefully pushed up the pant leg, seeing that the blood was coming from two or three fairly large holes in and around the scar where the stitches had been.

"Call the police . . . and an ambulance," he said, interrupting the difference of opinions, "this thing has opened back up. It's bleeding pretty well."

Ellie looked down and placed a hand over her mouth, showing her surprise and disbelief at just how bad it seemed to be. Mary ran off to use the phone.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie pulled the truck in the driveway. When it stopped, she looked at her passenger.

"Why does it feel like we've already done this before?" She joked.

Alan looked at her and laughed. At that particular moment he was feeling no pain thanks to the drugs administered at the hospital. He opened his door first and began to get out.

"Wait, wait, wait," Ellie said, as she quickly got out and ran around the front of the truck.

He had already swung his legs around, but he waited as she instructed. She stood in front of him for a second, just staring at him. He pretty much looked like he always did, except for a wicked black eye that was sure to hurt for some time.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

She answered him by getting really close and embracing him.

"There's nothing wrong. I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

She held onto him tightly, burying her head in his shoulder.

"I'm okay, Ellie," he whispered, running his hand along the small of her back.

"I know. I just want to hold you for a second," she said, still gripping him tightly.

She lifted her head to look at him again.

"Can we go in now?" He whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Just a second."

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her tighter, as she leaned into him more. He was still sitting down in the truck. She began to cry on his shoulder.

"Why are you crying?" He whispered.

"I don't know."

She heard him laugh. It was very hard to explain the emotions running through her body and mind. She didn't want to sound corny, but she was just happy to be able to hold him. Who knows what would have happened if Rob hadn't shown up during that fight. She could have lost him. They could have beaten him to an inch of his life. They could have paralyzed him. She felt fortunate to be able to hold him and talk to him.

She finally let him go and began to assist him out of the truck. He saw that she was thinking about something, and then she pushed him back into the seat.

"Stay here. I'll get your crutches."

"Ellie, I can---"

She silenced him by pointing at him.

"You stay . . . I'll be right back."

He stayed put, not because he thought it was a good idea, but because he didn't want to upset her. He watched her go inside and come back out with his crutches. She handed them to him and then helped him out of the truck again. He winced as he limped toward the door, and with her assistance, he made it inside. She led him into the kitchen.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding and attempting to sit in a chair.

"How about that scrambled egg sandwich?" She asked, smiling.

"Sounds good."

She nodded and began to get out the items she needed.

"And then it's off to bed for you," she stated.

"Okay."

"You need rest," she added.

"Yes, ma'am."

She paused and looked at him.

"Uh, I mean dear. Yes, dear."

"Much better," she said.

She walked from the kitchen to take off the sweatshirt that she had borrowed from Rob's car, leaving on one of her usual tank tops. She noticed a rather large and nasty bruise on her upper arm. She didn't want Alan to see it so she began to put the sweatshirt back on.

"I didn't realize that you were hurt," Alan said, startling her.

She turned around, wishing that he hadn't seen it.

"You shouldn't be walking around," she warned, and then she looked at her arm again.

There was a major bruise that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her arm was hurting her earlier, but she didn't think much of it then. The bruise started at the tip of her shoulder and ran down almost to her elbow. She reached around, rubbing it with her other arm, trying to remember the exact circumstance that caused it.

"I'm fine," she finally said.

He walked closer, using the wall to help himself along, to get a closer look. Ellie could see that he was concerned and that the concern was turning to anger.

"It must have happened when Greg threw me against the truck. He was holding my arm really tight, trying to stop me from hitting him."

Right away, she noticed he wasn't getting any more cheerful.

"Alan, it's fine. I think I broke the kid's nose, so I was able to get even."

Alan frowned.

"Well, I'm definitely pressing charges now," he said, as he gently touched her arm.

"Those guys practically beat the hell out of you, and now you're going to press charges just because of a little bruise I ended up getting?"

"I wouldn't call it little."

Ellie laughed.

"I don't understand you sometimes. But, either way, I'm glad you've decided to press charges."

He nodded.

"I'll go to the police station tomorrow," he said, and then he added, "If I feel up to it, that is."

She assisted him back into the kitchen, encouraging him to sit back in one of the chairs. She stepped back and looked at him closely.

"You look like hell," she said, smiling.

He slightly laughed.

"I feel like hell."

"I'll take you to the police station tomorrow."

"Don't you have to work?"

"Tomorrow is Saturday. I can take a partial day off," she said, as she came closer to him. She gently touched his face very close to his black eye, "Besides, I know the boss. I don't think he'll mind very much."

Alan took her hand in his. She reached around and grabbed another chair.

"So, you and this boss guy. The two of you are close? Should I be worried?"

Sitting in the chair, she smiled and kissed his hand.

"Oh, yes. You should definitely be worried. He compares to no other man, sorry to say."

"Sounds like I should meet this guy. Maybe get rid of the competition, since I'm not ready to give you up," he joked.

Ellie closed her eyes and they kissed. It was a long kiss. When it was over, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I think it's safe to say that I'm going to have to keep both of you around, since I have no intentions of missing out on any of this."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him gently. The thought of being apart from this man in front of her was very difficult. Their days were numbered now. It was time for Alan to resume his teaching position in Colorado in about two weeks, while Ellie was heading to California to submit her thesis. They would have to settle for talking on the phone and a few visits here and there. And after that, if Ellie still followed the path she set for herself, she would hopefully be able to get an assistant teaching job by the January semester. It wouldn't be that difficult to stay away from Alan at that point, since he was due to go to Mongolia on a dig in January. She vaguely smiled as she thought about fast forwarding to next summer, when they would be together at the dig site again. She had already decided on making that a summer staple.

Alan was feeling much the same way. He sighed, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm going to miss this, too," he whispered in her ear, as he gently kissed her neck.

"We'll have the holidays to look forward to," she said, trying to make the future situation more bearable.

He lifted his head and looked at her.

"Two weeks. Two weeks and we go our separate ways," he said, caressing her hair, "It feels like it was yesterday, when I first met you on that dark highway."

"I know what you mean. But then I think of everything we've been able to do since then, and it seems like I've known you for years already," she said.

He smiled. 

"Hopefully, the years are going by quick and painless," he joked.

Ellie loved his smile. It was a cute little crooked smile.

"I really do love you," she whispered.

He looked around the room and then rested his eyes back on her.

"You sure that other guy won't care?"

She laughed and playfully hit him, causing him to wince some.

"Oh, man, sorry about that," she said.

"I think I need a doctor," he suggested, pretending to be overly wounded.

She looked into his eyes. Just as he thought she might say something nice, she tricked him.

"Men are such babies," she teased.

He leaned in and kissed her again. They were interrupted by the phone ringing. Ellie sighed in disappointment, as she stood up and walked to the phone, picking it up. It was Rob. Alan listened to her talk to him for a second, and then she hung up the phone and came back over to him.

"He's going to pick me up in the morning."

"Why?"

"Because my car is still at the dig site. That way I'll be able to get it home tomorrow."

"Oh," he said, "Good thinking."

She nodded and turned toward the stove. In just a few minutes she had four scrambled egg sandwiches, ready for consumption. She sat on the chair again, handing Alan one of the plates. He was hungrier than he thought he was, as he wolfed down both sandwiches before Ellie was even finished with her first. She laughed.

"Take it easy there, cowboy. You're going to choke."

He didn't answer. He only smiled at her.

  
  


© 2002 Yvonne Bartha


	17. Chapter 17: A Visit To The Authorities

Chapter 17: A Visit To The Authorities

  


_September 1, 1991 - Saturday_

  


The shower turned on, allowing the warm and inviting water to cascade over Ellie's face. She stayed still for quite a while, letting the water massage her body, slowly waking her up. As she began to shampoo her hair, she was reminded of her injury from the previous night. Moving her arms over her head really aggravated her bruised shoulder, but she toughened it out. The shower turned off and she hurried out of the bathroom, knowing that she was running a little bit late and Rob was going to be there at any second. She walked back into the bedroom to get dressed and to take a peek at Alan. After tossing and turning for most of the night, he had finally fallen asleep. He looked very peaceful, relaxed, comfy, and warm, under the covers. She almost gave in and jumped back in bed to snuggle with him, but she pushed that thought away and put her work boots on.

It was 7:30 in morning and at that time of the morning it was a bit cold outside, so she went back to the bathroom to blow dry her hair. Just as she finished, she heard Rob's truck horn. He only beeped twice, which made her happy, since he hadn't woken up Alan at all. Grabbing her coat, she made her way to the front door and walked out on the porch. She tried to grab Rob's attention, but he was moving, rather unrhythmically Ellie noticed, to some loud rock music playing in his truck. She motioned with her arms, moving them up and down and sideways, until he finally happened to look her way. When he did, she held up a finger, letting him know it would be just a minute. He nodded and continued to tap the steering wheel, singing to the music.

She went back inside and hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a piece of scrap paper. After scribbling a little note, she taped it to the refrigerator, right next to the Triceratops magnet. It was short and sweet. It read:

  


_Alan, I'll be back by three. Try and be ready. We have an appointment with the police at 4:30pm._

  


_Love you,_

_Ellie_

  


She grabbed her keys and backpack and headed for the door. When she got outside, she got into Rob's truck, shaking her head as she did so. "Love Stinks" by the J. Geils Band was just ending, and Rob was playing the air guitar. The song ended and he turned the radio down, looking at her questionably.

"What?"

"It's 7:30 in the morning. Do you think that everyone is awake just because you are?" She asked.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. What happened? Alan wasn't feeling well enough for those extracurricular activities?"

Ellie almost answered him, forgetting the immature idiot that she was speaking to. Explanations would do no good. In fact, it would probably make the teasing worse.

"On second thought, why don't you turn that thing back up. It sure beats talking to you," she teased.

He was about to offer a comeback, when one of his favorite songs came on the radio. He turned it very loud.

"Oh yes! Bob Seger!" He said, looking at Ellie, "Come on, sing with me now . . . "

Ellie just shook her head, as Rob did his best Bob Seger imitation, which wasn't all that great. He was singing loudly and off-key.

"Just take those old records off the shelf! I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself!"

He kept taking his eyes off the road to sing to her, and it was making her somewhat nervous. She was starting to realize why Alan had always insisted on driving whenever he and Rob would go anywhere. She would keep pointing to the road, when he would look at her, hoping that he would get the hint to watch where he was going. He continued to sing along, as he was banging his hands on the steering wheel, as if it were his own little drum set.

"I reminisce about the days of old! With that old time rock n' roll!"

Ellie sat quietly, hoping and praying that they didn't get into an accident, as she grabbed onto whatever she could for support. The song finally ended and he turned the radio down for a second.

"So, how's Alan doing?"

"Better. I talked him into making a police report finally."

"That's good. You talked some sense into him then?"

"Yeah. I'm only working a half a day. Then, I'm going to pick him up and go to the police station."

Rob nodded, and Ellie breathed a sigh of relief, as she noticed he was actually watching the road.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


They walked inside the small police station. Ellie walked up to the counter, while Alan chose to sit down in a nearby chair. When he had woken up, his leg was bothering him. But more than that, was the constant pain in his back and right side, where Raymond and company had continuously beaten him.

Ellie looked around the station. The desk was small, as well, and it was held up with milk crates. It looked like they were going through some renovations. At least, she hoped so. She reached the counter.

"We have an appointment," she said, wondering to herself why she had bothered to make an appointment in the first place. 

The station was empty, with the exception of two policemen sitting near the back, talking. After a brief conversation with an elderly man helming the counter, Ellie came back to sit next to Alan. Only a few minutes went by, before the elderly man motioned for them to go down the short hallway. They were instructed to go to the second door on the right. Ellie was shaking her head, as they walked through the hall.

"What's wrong?" Alan asked.

"Second door to the right," she commented.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not like there are any doors on the left. And there are only two doors, on the right."

"So, he's a little bit more navigational than he needs to be," Alan offered.

"It's just annoying."

He stopped Ellie in the hall.

"Relax, will you? You're so angry. You need to calm down before we get in there," Alan said.

She nodded and began to walk again. Her mood relaxed some, when she noticed him limping. She had been so high strung with anger, that she hadn't noticed the obvious difficulty he was having.

"Having trouble?" She asked.

"No, I'm fine."

At that instant, a door straight ahead of them opened and three men walked out. Two of the men were officers, escorting one lone male prisoner. They had just exited the station's only interrogation room and they were taking the prisoner back to his cell. Alan moved to one side, allowing the men to pass and was about to knock on the door, where they were supposed to go. He didn't notice who the prisoner was. But Ellie did. When Alan realized that she had stopped in the hallway, he directed his attention to whatever it was that she was looking at. It was Greg Diamond and he was right beside Ellie now, smiling at her in a maniacal way. Alan's first gut reaction was to pummel the kid in the face, but he refrained from doing so, as he reached out and grabbed Ellie's hand.

Ellie had momentarily forgotten why they were there, as she stared back at the man. Anger was building, as she replayed Alan's attack in her head, while looking at Greg. There would have been a physical confrontation, if it hadn't been for the presence of Alan's hand gripping hers. She was drawn back into the reality of being at the police station, as she looked away from Greg and focused on Alan.

"It's okay. Let's just get inside," he said, gesturing to the door on the right.

Ellie nodded, and Alan was able to gently pull her toward the door. They were almost there, when Greg couldn't leave well enough alone.

"Looks like the two of you are more than just student and teacher."

They both turned to look at him, as Greg smiled from ear to ear. He had a bandage across his nose, where Ellie had hit him with the steel pipe, making him look somewhat ridiculous.

"Shame on you, Dr. Grant, for making intimacy a part of the curriculum. Now I know why you approve of women in the paleontological field. Good thinking. Us hard-working men need a way to relieve the stress of a long day."

Alan couldn't believe what he had just heard, but he was going to take the high road and simply be happy with being able to put Greg in jail. Assaulting a man in a police station wasn't such a good idea, so he forced himself to look away from the kid. Ellie had a different outlook, as her anger was now at its boiling point. Like an award winning prize fighter, sensing victory, she ran over to the prisoner and began to punch him hard and fast.

Alan turned around and grabbed her, while the two policemen tried to restrain their prisoner, who was trying to grab Ellie. His hands were handcuffed in front of him, but he still managed to wrestle himself away from his guards for a second. In her rage, Ellie managed to score a direct blow right into Greg's nose, causing him to stop struggling for a second. Alan was behind her with his arms around her waist, trying to pull her away from Greg, before the outraged ex-student tried breaking free from the guards again.

Finally, she came back to her senses and stopped her assault. The officers struggled with Greg for a second, as it looked like she re-injured his nose. 

"I want to press charges!" He kept repeating.

The officers ignored his pleas. In their eyes, the attack was definitely the prisoner's fault. Plus, there was an additional factor involved. The fact that they didn't care for the prisoner. They weren't able to get anything out of him during the interrogation, besides a very bad attitude. It was nice to see that someone was able to put the smart ass in his place.

Ellie was standing still, breathing heavily, with a very mean looking scowl on her face. Just seconds earlier, Alan had gently let her go, and now he just stood in the hallway, looking at her. He didn't think she had even noticed him looking at her, as she was watching the officers struggle with Greg. He was yelling profanities at her, as he was dragged down the hall and pulled to the right, disappearing. Several minutes later, she seemed to calm down some.

"Ellie?" Alan finally whispered.

She had still been staring down the hallway, in the direction they had taken Greg. She looked at him, her eyes piercing with anger. They looked at each other for a while, until a broad smile crept upon Alan's face, causing her to smile as well.

"Remind me to never get you that angry at me," he said, "That was truly scary."

"Sorry about that. I just lost control for a second. I hate that guy so much."

"And he's going to pay," Alan said, looking at the door in front of them, "Are you ready to go in there?"

"Yeah."

Alan knocked on the door, waited for a response and then opened it, letting Ellie in first. The room was bigger than either of them thought it would be. The detective in the room was on the phone, screaming at someone. He looked up and briefly smiled at them, gesturing toward the chairs in front of his desk. They sat down and waited.

A few minutes later, the detective hung the phone up and looked up at them.

"What was that commotion in the hallway?"

"Just a little run in with Greg Diamond," Alan answered, adjusting his chair.

"He was in the hallway?"

"Yes," Alan answered, as he looked around the room uncomfortably.

"With the knowledge that you were coming in to press charges, I took the liberty of picking up Mr. Diamond and bringing him in. He was being interrogated. I had told them to transfer him to the back, before you two got here."

Ellie hadn't said a word yet, but she was already getting impatient with this guy.

"Can we get to the point of our visit, sir?" She said, interrupting.

The detective smiled, while Alan shook his head.

"Absolutely," he said, looking down at a file folder on his desk.

He opened the folder and began to shift through some of the papers at the top. Looking at the papers, he began to speak, not even looking up at them.

"Apparently, Mr. Diamond had met Mr. Knox in a neighborhood bar."

"Mr. Knox? Is that Raymond?" Ellie asked.

The detective looked up from his paperwork, sighing. He hated it when people would interrupt him, but he tried not to show that he was getting peeved.

"Oh, yes. Sorry about that. Mr. Diamond was sitting in the bar, apparently stewing about you," the detective gestured toward Alan, "when Mr. Kn . . . uh, Raymond, and some others walked in. He had heard Raymond complaining about Dr. Grant and had invited himself into the conversation."

"When was that? Do you know?" Ellie asked.

"Weeks ago. Raymond and Mr. Diamond had devised a plan to attack Dr. Grant at his trailer. But then, he had that accident. Since he was no longer in his trailer, they decided to wait a bit longer."

Ellie was sitting there listening . . . and getting more and more angry. Suddenly, she wished she could beat the living hell out of that kid again. She looked at Alan and couldn't understand why he didn't look just as angry, but she kept that to herself, as the detective continued.

"They had heard that you returned back to work yesterday, and that's when they planned the attack."

Alan sat there, still uncomfortable, as he listened to the details. He had only one question for the time being.

"How did you find all of this out?"

"From one of the other perpetrators. I offered him freedom for knowledge, and he complied very easily actually."

Alan nodded and the appointment continued. After about a half an hour of questions and answers, and some picture-taking of the injuries in question, the detective cleared his throat.

"So, I think we're all finished here. I'll get this filed and be in contact with you," the detective said, jotting down one more note on a piece of paper, before sliding it back into the file folder.

Ellie had more questions.

"So, is Raymond Knox in custody, too?"

The detective shifted uneasily in his chair, before answering. This young lady had done nothing but interrupt him, and now she was threatening to make him look incompetent, as well. He dismissed his urge to let her have it verbally, though.

"Well, uh, no . . . no, not yet. His whereabouts are unknown at the moment, but we've got top men looking for him, as we speak," he said. He noticed that the young lady wasn't buying his speech, so he added, "We'll find Mr. Knox. He can't hide forever."

Alan wanted nothing more, than to get out of there. He had been cooped up long enough in a place he didn't want to be, so he began to stand up slowly, with Ellie assisting him. It was then, when the detective noticed just how bad off Alan seemed to be. He hadn't noticed on the way in, since he had been on the phone. Alan shook the man's hand.

"You know, Dr. Grant. Raymond was planning on crippling you, maybe more. Mr. Diamond was only trying to assault you, but Mr. Knox was attempting much more, possibly even murder. You are very lucky that the situation ended the way it did, sir."

Ellie had been quiet almost long enough. She was about to say something, when she felt Alan's grip on her hand grow tighter. She remained silent.

"Well, sir, with all due respect. At this moment in time, I'm not feeling so lucky," he said.

With that statement, Alan turned around and slowly walked out of the police department. Ellie was still being quiet, which was starting to make Alan wonder what she was thinking. As they got outside, she began to express those feelings.

"Can you believe that guy?" She shouted, as they made it to her car.

"He's kind of right, if you think about, Ellie."

"He wasn't there, Alan. We were. He didn't see the angry faces of those men, as they beat the hell out of you. I did, damn it! He has no right at all to say that you were lucky. What? Lucky to get beat senseless? That guy's an asshole."

Alan hadn't realized just how upset Ellie was about the whole thing. _He_ had been the one beaten up, and not even he was _that_ upset about it. They got into the car. He still hadn't responded yet, as he couldn't think of anything reassuring to say to her. They got into the car and drove away from the police station. She wasn't finished being mad yet, as she continued.

"All I know, is that if Rob hadn't shown up . . . I probably wouldn't be talking to you right now," she said, trying to concentrate on the road that was in front of her now.

"You've got to let this go, Ellie. Hopefully, he and Raymond will get what's coming to them and we can move on with our lives."

"I know what I have to do," she shot back at him. Then, she calmed down again, and added in a civil voice, "I know I need to move on, Alan. And I will. When I'm ready. Not because you're ready."

"This whole thing, it happened to me. Why can't you just let it go?"

"Can we talk about his later?" She asked, driving a little faster now.

Sensing her increasing anger and her foot hitting the gas pedal a little heavier, he decided to give it a rest.

"You know, I don't really want to get into another accident," he said, looking at her, "Why don't you slow down," he added in a condescending tone.

As soon as he said it, he knew it didn't quite come out right. He closed his eyes and twisted his neck a little bit, as he waited for her response. She didn't say a word, though. Nothing out loud, that is. There was a certain small phrase floating around in her mind . . . _fuck you, Alan_ . . . but she kept that to herself. She knew that wouldn't go over well. Besides, the hatred wasn't intended toward Alan anyway, so she just slowed down and pulled the car over, opting for a different response. Leaving the keys in the ignition, she got out, slammed the door as hard as she could, and began to walk down the shoulder of the road. He sat there, watching her for a second, and then he got out of the car.

"Where are you going?" He shouted to her back.

"I'm walking. Leave me the hell alone," she shouted in return, not even turning around.

"Ellie," he more or less shouted, as she kept walking.

"You drive the damn car home if you're just a great driver," she yelled, still not turning around.

He sighed and gave a quick look around the area. They were only about a third of the way home, so there was no way he was going to let her walk. It was getting darker earlier now, and he knew he wasn't going to let her walk in the dark alone. He limped to the driver's side of the car and got in. He hadn't driven since the accident, and it was very awkward trying to drive in the spur of the moment. After starting the car back up, he drove it to where she was and slowed down, the best he could with his left leg. He rolled down the passenger-side window.

"Ellie, please get in."

She didn't look at him. She walked faster.

"I'm not leaving without you," he said.

Suddenly, she stopped and looked in his direction. There were a few tears streaming down her cheek, but she didn't look sad in the least. She looked very angry.

"Just leave me alone. Go home."

"I'm sorry for what I said, okay?"

"It's not that. I just want to be left alone. So go," she said, starting to walk again.

"It'll be dark before you get home," he said, slowly following her in the car.

"I don't care," she said.

"You don't care?" Alan repeated.

Ellie stopped again, but this time she didn't look quite as mad.

"Just give me a second, will you? I need to collect my thoughts and be mad at the world for a minute, if that's not too much to ask, damn it."

Alan simply nodded, which was the best thing for him to do. If he would have attempted to say anything more, it would have surely gone bad. Women were a mystery to him on several levels, this being one of them. He sat in the car, watching her walk a little, and then stop, and then walk again. After about twenty minutes, she finally came back to the car and got into the passenger seat.

"Want me to drive?" She asked, not looking at him.

"I think I can do it," he answered.

She nodded and still made a point not to look in his direction. He slowly reached his hand toward her, gently touching her cheek. She didn't seem to mind that, so he moved his hand to her chin and turned her head toward him. There were a few tears streaming down her face again, but she didn't look angry now. Only sad.

"Let's go home," he whispered, as he smiled at her.

That smile of his almost always worked wonders on her mood, and right now was no exception. She slowly gave in, as a smile of her own developed.

"Oh, that's much better. I like this face a lot better," he observed.

She scooted over and got very close to him. He moved his arm, allowing her to rest against him, and then he wrapped it around her. All she could think of were two things; she didn't have a real reason for lashing out at him just a few minutes ago, and their different career choices were forcing them to go in separate directions for the foreseeable future.

"I don't want the summer to end," she sighed.

"I wish I could do something about that," he said, caressing her hair.

"You seem to fix everything else. Why can't you do this one simple thing for me?" She joked.

He laughed and continued the drive home, holding the woman he loved so dearly.

© 2002 Yvonne Bartha


	18. Chapter 18: University Of Denver

Chapter 18: University of Denver

  


_About 3 weeks later_...

  


_September 24, 1991 - Tuesday_

  


Relieved to be finished with his daytime classes, Alan was trying to gather some energy for the night classes. He had two night classes a week, one right after another, that met every Tuesday and Thursday. He was on his way across the campus, when someone yelled to him. Standing on one of the campus bridges, he turned around, almost losing some of the folders he had gathered under his arm. He smiled when he saw who it was.

"Hi, Tom," he said, shaking the man's hand.

"How have you been, Alan? I haven't had the chance to see much of you this semester."

Thomas Valner was 52 years old and was the most prominent science professor at the University. He was also the father of Alan's late wife. He was about as tall as Alan. His hair was predominantly brown, with slight traces of gray around the sides. He was basically the picture of heath, with a friendly personality to go along with it.

"Oh, it's going well."

Tom took a good look at his former student.

"Looks like you have a limp."

"Yeah. I had . . . an accident," he said, not wanting to get into the details, "It's usually fine, but I've been on campus since this morning, so it's starting to bother me. I added an extra night class this semester, seeing how I'm going to be gone the following semester."

"Oh? Where are you going?"

"Mongolia. I'm going there for a dig. It should only be a four-week expedition, but I didn't want to commit to classes during that time, since I'd be missing a whole month of teaching."

"Good thinking," Tom said.

"So, how have you been?" Alan asked, as he leaned against a nearby railing.

"Very good. I've got some more student interviews set up tomorrow afternoon. I'm hoping to find a well-suited assistant to work with next semester."

"What happened to Joshua?" Alan asked, referring to Tom's assistant.

"He moved on. This is the last semester for him. He's going to Berkeley. Apparently, he has family in California, and so he wants to be with them. Family is important. I'm disappointed that he's going, but I'm happy for him, as well."

"Well, good for him," Alan said, briefly thinking about Tom's "family" comment. His thoughts immediately went to Kathryn, but he didn't mention her by name. He continued, "The students are very bright these days. You shouldn't have too much of a problem finding someone new."

"That's what I was counting on. I've got it narrowed down to three now. The only problem is that all three of them are very worthy of the job."

Alan wanted to stay longer and chat, but he really needed to get to class.

"Tom, I've got to get going. I've got about three minutes to make it to the other side of the campus."

Tom laughed.

"Okay, I'll let you go. We've got to meet for lunch one day soon and get caught up."

"Sounds good. I'll give you a call," Alan said.

Tom nodded and began to walk away in the opposite direction. Alan watched him for a minute, and then began his trek across the campus. Seeing Tom always brought up memories of Kathryn, which was perceivable. He and Kathryn had some very fun and happy times on this campus. His memory jumped to their first official date. She was even able to talk him into ditching her father's class one night so that they could go to some play that was being presented in the school's theater. He had gotten caught by one of Tom's assistants and Tom was very upset by Alan's apparent lack of dedication to the program. Kathryn had talked to her father, though, and had gotten him to change his mind about being angry. While Alan was reminiscing, he thought about how that first date had almost gotten him thrown out of the school.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


After a really long day and evening at the University of Denver, Alan slowly came to the door of his apartment in Colorado. He had only been back to teaching for a few weeks, but he was already wiped out, more than ready to surrender to sleep. He used the card key and, when the light turned green, he opened the door. There was a light on, in the far corner of the main room. He knew that he didn't leave a light on before he left.

"Hello?" He asked, sort of quietly. He didn't really want a response.

He began to walk cautiously down the short hallway and into the main room, carefully placing his papers and books on a nearby end table. Suddenly someone threw their arms around him, scaring him half to death. It was Ellie.

"Oh, my God. What are you doing here?" He asked, still startled.

"I thought I'd visit," she said, embracing him.

He didn't ask any more questions at that point. He simply planted a deep and passionate kiss on her lips, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He had been feeling like something was missing since he resumed his fall teaching schedule. Of course, it was easy to figure out what that something was, but he didn't think it was possible for Ellie to come to Denver. After a long embrace and a very passionate welcome, he finally spoke.

"Why aren't you in California?"

"I was able to complete my thesis early, as you know. I submitted it and I'm now a free woman."

"That's great," Alan said, as he continued to look at her, still bewildered at her presence.

Ellie smiled warmly and backed away from him a little, looking him over.

"So, how are you feeling? How's the leg?"

"It's holding up pretty good. I'm a bit sore tonight, but I'm feeling much better."

"That's a relief," she said.

Alan stared at her for a second. He had many questions for her.

"I'm beyond happy to see your beautiful face. But don't you have to do interviewing and researching now?"

"Yes. I had some interviews today actually. Right here in Denver."

"Really?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"And I have a second interview set up with one of the professors tomorrow, too."

Alan briefly thought about Tom and what he had said earlier, but before he could formulate a whole idea, Ellie interrupted.

"With a Dr. Valner. You know him?"

Alan was slightly stunned by the strange twist of fate. It was, indeed, a small world sometimes.

"Yes, I know him. He's a good professor. I saw him today as a matter of fact."

Alan wanted to tell her about the correlation between Dr. Valner and himself, but he couldn't figure out how or what to say.

"He has a very decent and strong reputation. And I'm hoping he'll want me as an assistant," Ellie said.

"I could talk to him if you want me to."

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I wanted to get sponsored on my own."

"He's Kathryn's father," Alan blurted out.

Ellie was understandably surprised at the information.

"Oh, my God, Alan. I had no idea."

"He's a very good man. And very intelligent. He actually sponsored me, allowing me to remain in Denver and teach all of these years."

"Well, if you find this situation awkward, just let me know. I'll find some way to get out of the interview and find someone else."

"No, that isn't necessary. He'll be a very lucky man if he chooses you."

"Well, if you're sure it doesn't bother you," she began to say, when Alan interrupted her this time.

"How about me? I could sponsor you."

"You? Won't that look bad?"

"Professors fall in love and work together all of the time. It's not something so strange."

"Could I think about that? I'd really like to complete the interview with Dr. Valner, if that's okay with you?"

"Of course that's okay with me. I'll be cheering you on. What time is the interview?" He asked.

"At 12:30pm."

"I have a break from 2:00pm-3:00pm. Want to meet for lunch?"

"That would be good, yeah."

He nodded, and then stared at her again.

"I still can't believe you're here," he whispered.

He hugged her again, this time gently rocking her back and forth in his loving arms.

"I've really missed this," she observed.

"How did you get into the apartment, anyway?" He asked.

"With Rob's help. He kind of borrowed me the spare keys."

"Well, for once, I'm happy for something that he did," Alan said, laughing.

Smiling back at him, she began to look around the apartment. There were piles and piles of papers on a nearby desk, with even more papers draped across the bed. Alan noticed and let her go.

"It's not much, but it's all that I need, really."

"Well, I was thinking that it was nice actually," she said, smiling, "Got room for one more tonight?"

Alan answered that question by moving to the bed and shoving the papers to the floor.

"Oh, yes. I think that can be arranged."

Taking the hint, she went toward the bed, getting undressed as she did so. When Alan had first gotten there, he was ready to surrender to sleep, but now he was surrendering to something much more favorable. The lights went off, as they granted each other a proper welcome.

  
  


_September 25, 1991 - Wednesday_

  


Ellie went to her second interview and was waiting patiently in the hallway for her turn. There was one other young man there, waiting to be interviewed, as well. They only had a few words, greeting each other, and now, they were both sitting in silence.

A door opened ahead of them, and a young woman walked out, followed by Dr. Valner. The professor looked toward the two remaining people and gestured for the young man to come inside. Ellie wasn't sure about going last, but she wasn't given a choice. Sighing, she sat there, watching the door close again.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally opened again. Dr. Valner motioned for her to go inside. She quickly stood and did as he instructed. She sat down, waiting for him to begin the interview. Yesterday, she had been so confident, but today she was nervous. Mostly because of Alan's connection to Valner. She didn't know if she should come out and volunteer the information, or if she should just let him find out on his own in due time. If she mentioned Alan, it would look like she was name dropping and that wouldn't look good for her. But then again, if she didn't mention it, when he found out, he might find it too awkward to work with her. She decided not to mention right away, but made a point to herself to be sure he knew before the interview was finished.

After twenty-five minutes of questions, Valner stood up, indicating that the interview had concluded.

"I've decided that you are the one, Ms. Sattler. Just as soon as you are officially a doctor, I'd love to have you working here, in Colorado."

Ellie smiled, as she stood up briefly, shaking Valner's hand.

"Thank you, sir. You won't be disappointed. I assure you."

Valner nodded.

"I am already assured. So, Ms. Sattler, are you enjoying your stay in Colorado?" He asked, making small talk.

"Yes, I am. This is a nice state. Being from Georgia, it's a little cold for my taste, but nice."

Valner smiled. The young woman seemed like she was still awestruck by the news. He really believed this was the right choice, out of the three candidates.

"I was born and raised here. I've only been out of the state a handful of times actually. Are you well-traveled?" He asked.

"Well, I've been to most of the southeastern states, on various vacations. I was going to school in California, as you know."

This was a perfect opportunity to let Valner know about Alan. That way, if he did want to find someone else at this early stage, he would be able to.

"And I've worked at a dig site in Montana last summer."

"Oh? Which one?"

"Near Fort Peck Lake," she answered. She could see that he was thinking about it, which made her happy, as she continued, "Alan Grant was in charge."

"Alan Grant," he said. Ellie thought she heard a happy tone when he mentioned Alan by name, but she could have just imagined it. "He's a very knowledgeable man. You were very lucky to get to spend time with him," he added.

Ellie smiled. _You have no idea how lucky_. She kept that to herself, though.

"Yes. He was a great influence on me. We got along very well."

Valner had walked around his desk by now. He leaned back against it and folded his arms.

"You know, he's an instructor here," he said.

"I saw him yesterday," she offered.

"Why not try and get an assistant position with him then?"

Ellie sat back down for a second.

"This is a little awkward for me, Dr. Valner. Could I be candid?"

"Absolutely. And please, call me Tom."

"I have . . . somewhat of a pers . . . a personal relationship with Dr. Grant."

"Just somewhat?" He asked, smiling.

She was relieved that he was smiling, but she had really thought this news would make him angry for some reason.

"Uh, yes, sir."

"Alan is my son-in-law."

"Yes, sir. I just found out yesterday."

"Well, actually my former son-in-law, I guess."

"I'm terribly sorry about what happened to your daughter, sir," Ellie offered.

"Thank you," he said, thinking about how his daughter's life was cut short, "She is still very much missed."

"Of course," Ellie said.

Tom was still thinking about Kathryn, when he saw that Ellie was staring at him. He cleared his throat and stood up again.

"Well, it's good to see that Alan is getting on with his life. Three years has been a long grieving process for him."

"Yes," Ellie said.

Tom smiled again, putting Ellie at ease.

"And you seem like a very nice and capable young lady. I wish you all the luck in the world, to have a long and happy life."

"Thank you, sir."

"Please, call me Tom," he gently reminded her again.

"Thank you, Tom."

Tom nodded and then laughed.

"I'll have to make a point of yelling at my protege. He hadn't told me about any of this."

December 4, 1991 – Wednesday

  


_Approximately 10 weeks later_ .....

  


Ellie hung up the phone and paced the floor for twenty minutes, trying to come up with a way to break the news to Alan. He was at a meeting with some colleagues. The semester was all but finished and they were in the process of packing, to go back to Montana for the holidays. He was due to be home within the hour. It was then when she heard his truck pull into the apartment complex in Denver. He was home early. She listened as he opened the door.

"Hi there," she said, as he walked into the apartment.

When Alan had first walked in, he was in a cheerful mood. He had some news of his own to relay to her, but now that he saw the expression on her face, he smirked.

"What's wrong?" He asked quickly, as he tossed his keys on the television.

Ellie was surprised with his keen perception.

"How'd you know?" She asked.

"The tone in your voice. The face you're making. What is it?"

"Well, you want the good news or the bad news?"

"Good first, I guess."

Ellie straightened her shirt and smiled.

"You're now looking at Dr. Ellie Sattler," she announced proudly.

Alan smiled from ear to ear.

"That is terrific," he said.

He reached out to her and they embraced.

"And I start my teaching position with Dr. Valner, next semester," she said.

"Congratulations. You'll have something to keep you busy while I'm in Mongolia," he whispered in her ear.

"And my mother is coming to visit," she added.

Alan's smile began to quickly fade.

"What?"

"My mother. I was just talking to her. Somehow, she tricked me into telling her where I was going to spend Christmas. She's very clever," Ellie said, sighing, trying to break it to him slowly. "Now she's insisting on coming to Montana over Christmas. She wants to meet all of my new friends."

He cleared his throat a few times. Ellie could see that he was becoming very pale, as well.

"Uh, th- that's . . . great," he finally said.

"I knew you wouldn't like that very much."

"It's not that. It's just . . . "

"What?"

"Your mother doesn't like me."

"That's not true," she disagreed, lying through her teeth.

"You know it's true, Ellie."

"What did she say to you?"

"When?"

"On the phone, Alan. What did she say to you before?"

"Nothing."

Ellie gave him a doubtful look.

"Alan."

"Can we just celebrate your becoming a doctor and having a job?"

She really wanted to know what her mother had said to him, that had spooked him so much. He had actually turned pale at the mention of her visiting. She would try and figure that out later, though.

"Okay," she relented.

He nodded and went to the kitchen. He came back with some apple juice.

"Where did you find that?" She questioned.

"In the back of the fridge. Want some?"

Ellie nodded and took it from him. She drank about half of it before she gave it back. Alan thought it a good time to let her know about the meeting from that night.

"Did you hear about Dr. Harper retiring?" He asked, taking another drink.

"No, I didn't. He's finally calling it quits, huh?"

"Yeah, the summer heat has been getting to him the last few seasons."

"He did look exhausted a lot of the times when he was outside."

"I was going to have a meeting with some potential candidates to replace him when we get to Montana," Alan said, and after a slight pause, he continued, "but I don't think that will be necessary now."

Ellie figured she knew what he was getting at, but she decided to get him to ask, to make it more official.

"Why? You're only going to have you and Dr. Porter this summer?"

"No."

She smiled, causing him to smile.

"So, do you want the job?" He asked.

"I would be honored."

"I'm the one who should be honored. You'll be a great asset to the team."

  
  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	19. Chapter 19: Wining And Dining

  


Chapter 19: Wining And Dining

_December 16, 1991 - Monday_

  


Ellie walked into the living room, looking for Alan. He wasn't there. They had come home to Montana for the holidays and her mother had insisted on coming there. Ellie had tried to talk her out of it, but that simply didn't work. She had just gotten off the phone with Patricia and wanted to give her significant other the update.

She looked in every room of the house with no success. She was about to yell his name, when she noticed he was walking around the backyard. She reached the back door and opened it. The cold instantly hit her face as she walked out onto the snow-covered deck.

"Alan," she said quietly.

He had been pacing back and forth, making his own worn out pathway in the snow. When he heard his name, he looked up at her.

"You all right?" She asked.

He nodded. His hands were in his coat pockets, and he looked pretty cold.

"You do realize it's the middle of winter, right?" She asked, trying to lighten up his mood.

"Yeah."

"Why don't you come inside? I'm already freezing and I've only been out here for a second."

After nodding again, he walked toward her. When he reached her, she put an arm around him and coaxed him the rest of the way.

"Did she call?" He asked, as if it were a dreadful question.

"Yes, she did. Her plane just landed."

"Shouldn't we be picking her up?"

Ellie was happy to hear him say, 'we'.

"No. She insisted on getting her own rental car."

It looked as though Alan was going to say something, but then he didn't. After a short uncomfortable silence, Ellie spoke up.

"I think we should get going. We have a thirty minute drive."

"Okay," he said softly.

Ellie laughed at him.

"Relax, will ya? She's just a person."

He grabbed her car keys and then opened the front door, holding it open for her. He was very quiet.

"No matter what happens. I love you," Ellie said.

That statement finally pulled a smile out from behind his seriousness. As she walked through the door, she turned and grabbed the collar of his coat and pulled him toward her. She planted a quick kiss on his lips and then continued out into the cold. He watched her for a second, shivered from the cold hitting him, and then finally followed.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Waiting at the restaurant for about forty-five minutes already, Ellie got up to use the phone for the second time.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to call Rob. See if he might have heard from her."

Alan nodded.

"I'm going to order some wine," he said, as he ushered the waiter over.

"Alan. Do NOT get drunk. That wouldn't be a good first impression."

"I'm not going to," he said, rolling his eyes, "I'm just going to calm my nerves."

Ellie nodded and headed for the phone. She put coins into the pay phone and dialed Rob's number. He was at the dig site. Since, two of the trailers were actually bought and paid for, he was always left in charge of them, and that's where he was now. He would go there every holiday, to check on various things. He answered on the first ring.

"Rob here."

"Rob. It's Ellie."

"Whoa. You've got good timing. I was about to have you paged in that fancy-dancy restaurant."

"About what? My mother?"

"Yeah. She was just here. I found her snooping around Alan's trailer. Somehow, she found out where it was and which trailer to go to. That woman is very clever to find something in the middle of nowhere, let me tell you. I asked her who she was, telling her it was a private area. And, oh, she was very nasty."

"Sorry about that, Rob."

"That's how I knew she was your mother," he joked.

Ellie chuckled.

"So, what did she say to you?"

"Stuff like 'This place is a dump', 'Who the hell are you?', and 'I don't see why my daughter voluntarily stays in such a barbaric place'."

Ellie laughed, as Rob did his own impression of her mother, that didn't sound all that far off from the real person.

"I know she sounds mean, but she really is a wonderful person."

"I'll have to take your word for it," Rob said in a disbelieving way. "I do have one thing to say, though."

"What's that?"

"Whatever anxiety that Alan is feeling . . . it's all very well called for. I talked to that woman for three minutes, and I'm fairly certain I'll have nightmares about her."

"Rob, it couldn't have been that bad," Ellie said, knowing that it probably was that bad.

"Well, you better get back to Alan. Your demon mother should be getting there very soon."

"Okay, Rob," she said, chuckling again, "Thanks for the information. I'll talk to you later."

"Tell Alan to call me . . . providing he's still alive when this thing is over," Rob said, laughing.

"Good bye, Rob," she said, hanging up the phone.

She made her way back to the table. This restaurant was very large . . . and very expensive. It took three days to get a reservation, and in Montana, that was an enormous amount of time. Alan had told Ellie to let her mother pick the restaurant and had offered to pay, in an attempt to make her mother feel special. It had backfired on him. Patricia had deliberately picked the second most expensive restaurant in Montana. She would have chosen the most expensive, but it was on the other side of the state. Ellie had been furious with her, but Alan had insisted on keeping his side of the deal. So, here they were. Waiting for her mother, who was now almost an hour late.

She reached the table and Alan quickly stood, waiting for her to sit down.

"Rob just saw her. She should be here very soon," Ellie said, sitting down and adjusting her napkin.

"Was Rob still at the dig site?"

"Yeah."

"Why would she go there?"

"Maybe she's trying to make you nervous."

"Well, it's working."

Ellie laughed and reached for his hand.

"Alan, please relax. Rob said she was very pleasant."

"Really?"

"Yes."

This seemed to steady his nerves a little bit, although Ellie felt awful for lying to him like that. She was hoping and praying that this whole thing would turn out okay, knowing that her mother could be so menacing, at times. She would just have to do her best in making her mother be nice. Still in thought, she looked around the table.

"Where's the wine?"

"I decided not to order it."

"Why?"

"Because I would be drinking it heavily, just like you predicted."

Ellie was about to try and say something, anything, to calm him, but then she saw that her mother had just walked in.

"Here we go," she sighed.

Alan followed her gaze and saw a dark-haired woman approaching them. She was very beautiful, but the dark hair threw him off. He had just imagined her with blond hair, like her daughter. He watched as Ellie motioned to her mother. Patricia saw her, nodded, and began to walk toward them. It seemed to Alan as if everything was moving in slow motion. He took a very deep breath and stood up, as Patricia approached the table. 

"Hello, Mrs. Sattler," he said softly.

Patricia reached the table and stared at him. She continued to stare at him, saying absolutely nothing for the longest time. Alan nervously walked over to the other side of the table and assisted Patricia with her chair.

Even before she had ever met him, she had already made up her mind about him. She didn't like him. Her meanness was diverted temporarily, though, as she noticed he was good looking and seemed to have manners. She took possession of her chair and he walked to the other side of the table again. Patricia still hadn't taken her seat, and after making him stand in waiting, she finally cracked an unemotional smile.

"Hello," she said, almost sneering.

Ellie was getting upset, but she didn't want to make a public scene. She grabbed her mother's arm and gently persuaded her to sit down. The table was oval shaped and Patricia ended up sitting straight across from Alan, with her daughter to her left. Ellie stared at her mother, while her mother stared at Alan. Alan wasn't making eye contact with either Sattler woman. The silence was broken by the waiter.

"Are you ready with your drink order?" He asked the man of the table.

Alan looked at Ellie for the answer, since he couldn't think for himself suddenly. He stole a few glances toward Patricia and found her eyes to be piercing through him, every time. He was getting even more uncomfortable, if that was possible.

"Can you give us another minute?" Ellie said, holding up the drink menu.

"Sure," the waiter answered.

As the waiter turned to leave, he almost ran directly into one of the other waiters. The staff was moving frantically around the restaurant, trying to appease all of the customers in a timely fashion.

After a few very dirty looks from her daughter, Patricia finally stopped staring at Alan. This took some pressure away from him, as he picked up a menu. He began to look through it, acting like he hadn't done that yet. He looked up at Ellie.

"What are you having?"

"I haven't decided yet. You?"

"I was thinking of a New York Steak."

Ellie was looking over the menu and found something to tease Alan about. Maybe it would put him in a better state of mind.

"Hey, how about this New Zealand Red Deer?"

Alan smiled.

"Never liked the stuff," he said.

Patricia was reading her menu, as she listened to them talk. She had pulled a pair of glasses from her purse so that she could read the fine print. She was dead set on ordering the most expensive thing on the menu . . . even if she didn't like it. She found something . . . Great Plains Bison Tenderloin for 38.50.

"I think I'll get the House-Ground Cajun Burger," Ellie said, going for something in the low price range.

It sounded delicious, too. A half-pound, open face hamburger topped with ham and Gruyere cheese and accompanied by a creamy Cajun barbecue sauce. Served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes. She looked at her mother, "What are you having?"

"This Bison Tenderloin entry. Sounds excellent," Patricia said.

Ellie looked it up on the menu and instantly saw that it was the most expensive thing there. She leaned in next to her mother.

"Can I talk to you for a moment," she whispered through gritted teeth, "in private."

"Of course," Patricia said in a tone that seemed like she had no idea why Ellie was annoyed.

Ellie smiled at Alan and then the two women excused themselves and walked toward the restrooms. Alan had smiled back, although it was a faint smile. He simply couldn't believe how one woman could get him so edgy. He sincerely thought that if she had a way to get rid of him, she would.

Reaching a private area, Ellie stopped and looked at her mother.

"What is wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me. What is wrong with you?"

Ellie ignored that question.

"If you don't stop acting that a snob and a witch, I'm going to leave. Do you hear me?"

"Ellie, can't you see this is just some sort of phase you're going through? He's probably the only semi-good-looking guy around you. Of course you would latch onto him."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Ellie whispered.

"And power. He has power. That's a very big draw."

"Mom, I love him. He loves me. We've been through some very emotional things together and as a result, I've grown into a better person."

Patricia didn't respond to the matter at hand this time. She changed the subject.

"Let's just get back there. I want to eat."

"And that's another thing, damn it. Why pick this place? And why do you need to order the most expensive thing on the menu?"

"Okay. That I will admit to. I'll order something more suitable."

"You better."

"Ellie, I just wish you could see all of this from my side."

"And I wish you could see my side. Can we just agree to disagree and stop this senseless bickering? He's not a bad person once you get to know him. That is, if you choose to get to know him. He's the best thing to happen to me for a long time."

Patricia got uppity again.

"What about your education? Is that just flying out of the window now? I can't help but notice that you went to Colorado these last few months. You should be trying to find a college to obtain some kind of assistant-professor status. But no. You're doing God knows what in Colorado. Couldn't bare to be away from . . . him?"

People were beginning to take notice of the argument.

"Mom," Ellie whispered angrily, "Why would that bother you? I graduated. I'm a doctor. I'm finished with school. I've even managed to get a job next semester. What is so wrong with taking a break and being with the man that I love?"

Patricia fell silent again. She was finally beginning to come around a little bit. Ellie seemed to have a clear mind about the whole thing, so maybe . . . just maybe . . . she was making too much of a fuss about this new man in her daughter's life. And the fact that Ellie just mentioned that she had a job really helped. She would try to be a little more understanding, although she wasn't sure why her daughter hadn't told her that until now. Being friendly and pleasant was going to be hard, especially since she really believed that this man was taking advantage of his status AND steering Ellie onto the wrong path.

"Okay. Look, I'll try to be nicer. That's all I can promise at this point," Patricia whispered.

Ellie breathed in a sigh of relief.

"That's all I'm asking, for now," she said.

Patricia nodded and they headed back to the table. Ellie was temporarily content with the peace treaty she had just negotiated. As they approached the table, she couldn't help but smile at Alan. He had poured some wine in his glass and was drinking it like there would be no tomorrow. The importance he had placed on this meeting made her love him even more. He spotted them returning and quickly stood up as they sat back down.

"Everything okay?" He whispered.

"Yeah, don't worry," Ellie reassured him.

"I took the liberty of ordering some of the house wine," he said, holding up his glass.

"And sucking it all up, I see," Patricia commented.

Ellie gave her an evil stare. Alan could obviously hear her mother and it made her furious. The little private chat that they just had didn't seem to phase Patricia in the least. She had given her mother a chance to be nice and it had backfired. She stood up, ready to make good on her promise to leave.

"What are you doing?" Alan asked.

"We're going."

Alan stood up and took Ellie's hand in his own.

"It's okay, Ellie. Don't leave on my account. Please. That won't help the situation."

Ellie looked into his eyes and tried to forget all of her anger. It worked. He had a way of settling her down, which was one of many wonderful traits that he possessed.

Patricia sat in silence, observing how Alan handled the situation. She was impressed by his willingness to stay and be tortured, but she would not reveal that. The waiter interrupted the moment.

"May I take your order now?"

Alan and Ellie were still standing. He nodded at her, giving her encouragement. She sat back down and he followed suit.

"Yes, we're ready to order," he said. He gestured toward Ellie, "The lady will have the House-Ground Cajun Burger. I'll have the New York Steak, well done please."

The waiter wrote it all down, including what sides they wanted, and then looked at Patricia.

"And for you, ma'am?"

"I'll have the Springdale Colony Hutterite Roast Chicken," she said.

It was only about half as expensive as her first pick. Ellie smiled at her mother, silently thanking her for trying to be reasonable. Patricia faintly smiled at her daughter, and then went back to glaring at Alan.

Between the three of them, there were less than ten words spoken while waiting for the food to arrive. The waiter finally brought the main course out, lightly placing each plate in front of the designated guest. After he left, the conversation began to lengthen.

"So, Alan," Patricia began, "How long have you been a scientist?"

"About eight years."

Patricia nodded. She really wanted to ask him more personal questions, but she knew that would upset Ellie. She would inquisition him later, if and when she had the chance to corner him alone. They continued to eat.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Patricia said, wiping her mouth with a napkin, "Kurt has been trying to get in touch with you."

"Okay," Ellie said. She didn't want to get into the Kurt thing right now.

Patricia noticed the questionable look on Alan's face, as he glanced at Ellie. She took it upon herself to explain.

"She hasn't mentioned Kurt? Oh, well he is one of Ellie's oldest friends. They've known each other since grade school. I had always thought they would have gotten together at some point."

"Thank you . . . Mother," Ellie said angrily.

Patricia continued.

"Anyway, he's been calling quite a bit. Wants to catch up with you. See how things are going, I guess. You should give him a call."

Ellie leaned toward her mother. It was time for directness.

"Why are you being such a bitch?" She whispered.

Alan was just sitting there, watching the drama unfold. He felt very out of place, as the two women continued to bicker in angry whispers. And, as is usual for a man, he had no idea of what to do or say to appease the feuding women. He had to try something, though. He cleared his throat loud enough for both of them to hear. Ellie looked at him.

"Ladies. Can we just try to have a peaceful dinner? We're all adults here," he said, hoping that he didn't overstep his bounds with Ellie's mother.

Ellie glared at her mother as she spoke to Alan.

"You're right. I'm not going to let her get to me any more tonight."

"Fine," Patricia said.

The waiter interrupted again. Alan was beginning to think that management would just send him to the table whenever the voices got a little too high.

"Would any of you care for dessert?"

"No, I don't. Thank you," Alan answered.

Ellie shook her head no, and so did Patricia.

"Very well, then. I'll be right back with the bill," he said.

He produced a fake looking smile and then disappeared again.

"I'm staying at a hotel near your apartment," Patricia said, breaking the silence.

Ellie nodded. She just wanted to get out of there. She wanted to go home and relax, to get away from all of this tension. The waiter finally brought the bill, which seemed like an eternity to Ellie. He placed it in front of the man of the table.

Alan didn't even look at it, he simply surrendered his credit card to the waiter. He didn't want Patricia to see the look on his face when he looked at the dollar amount. A few minutes went by, and then the waiter showed up with a charge slip and a pen. Alan quickly signed it and then stood up. Ellie and Patricia stood up, as well. And that's when something unexpected happened.

As Alan turned to leave, one of the waiters ran right into him with a full tray of food. The short waiter had been holding the tray up quite high in the air and had managed to hit Alan directly in the head with it. Alan fell down and just seconds after, the waiter and all of the food accompanied him onto the floor.

Ellie gasped when she heard the sound of his head hitting the steel tray. She quickly made her way to him, checking to see if he was okay. The waiter had been transporting some pasta dishes and the sauce had splattered all over Alan. He was covered in it.

"Are you okay?" Ellie asked him, as she began to wipe some of the sauce away.

"Ouch," he said, as he continued to lie on the floor.

The waiter, who had mowed him down, quickly disappeared into the back, obviously embarrassed by the incident. Alan looked around for him, but couldn't find him. In his search, he found something else, though. Patricia was still standing near the table . . . and laughing hysterically. Even from the floor, Alan could see that she was laughing so hard, there were tears in her eyes.

Ellie helped him up. They were about in the middle of the restaurant and people were staring at them from all sides. A lot of rich and snooty people. Ellie was holding his hand and looking him over. They made eye contact with each other, and with her mother laughing in the background, they began to laugh, as well. The three of them laughed and laughed, as they made their way to the front of the ritzy restaurant. They were standing near the coat-check, just getting the coats, when a manager approached them.

"Sir, I would like to apologize for that terrible accident. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know. We've already taken the liberty of reversing the charges on your credit card, sir," the manager said, as they reached the door.

Alan nodded and politely thanked the man, while Patricia spoke up.

"I cannot believe what I just witnessed in there. Your staff should be better trained or something."

"Well, uh, they do get extensive training. I assure you, ma'am."

Alan handed Ellie her coat and opened the door for her. Patricia had looked away from the manager, but then she stopped and turned toward him one more time.

"And I don't think I'll be returning here . . . ever. Good evening."

This statement left the manager speechless and Alan was happy to see Patricia venting her anger on someone else. With the help of some well placed dumb luck, they had made it past their precarious beginning. Ellie was relieved to see that Alan and her mother were still laughing as they went outside. Alan handed a card to one of the valets. The young man ran out to find Ellie's car. Patricia gave her card to one of the other valets.

"So, you really did rent a car, I see," Ellie said.

"Yes, I did."

"You know, we could have picked you up," Ellie added.

Alan stepped in between them.

"Do these little details really matter so much? What's done is done. She rented a car. Maybe she wanted to be able to come and go as she pleases."

Ellie was about to protest, but she noticed that her mother was looking at Alan in a new light now. She wasn't staring or scowling at him, so she decided to let it go.

"Okay. Point taken," she added softly, reaching for his hand.

Things were looking up for Ellie. The holidays were coming soon and it looked as though she would be able to spend it with the two most important people in her life. Her mother and Alan. Her inner happiness was seeping out, as a smile developed on her face. Then it turned to laughter as she took another look at the stains on Alan's clothes. He gave her a shifty look and she raised his hand to her mouth, kissing it gently.

Ellie's car arrived in front of them and they walked toward it, with Alan going toward the driver's side. As he tipped the valet, Ellie turned to her mother.

"Are you planning on coming back to the house?"

"I was already there," Patricia said.

"No. Not the trailer. Alan has a house. About thirty minutes or so away."

Patricia looked at Alan, who hadn't gotten into Ellie's car yet.

"A house? Impressive," she said, smiling.

"I try," he said, smiling back.

"Well, if I'm invited, I'd love to go," she said.

"Of course you're invited," Alan answered.

Patricia nodded. Her car was already pulling up behind Ellie's Taurus.

"Okay. Just follow us, then," Ellie suggested.

Patricia nodded again as she handed the valet a tip and got into her rental car.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


When they were alone in the car, Ellie looked at Alan.

"Well, I'm glad that's over," she said, sighing.

He breathed in deeply and glanced at her.

"Oh, yes. And I don't think she even hates me, which is a positive sign."

Ellie laughed.

"Thank God for that waiter wacking you in the head."

He placed a hand on the sore spot on the side of his head and chuckled.

"Well, I'm glad I was able to amuse the two of you."

Moving his hand out of the way, Ellie reached over to check the bump on his head. He winced.

"Wow, that is certainly going to hurt for a while," she said, taking her hand away.

"Yeah. I've already got a headache."

"You'll live," she teased.

He nodded. It was quiet for several minutes while Alan wove in and out of traffic. Without looking at her, he asked a question.

"So why did you tell me that Rob said she was pleasant? That wasn't very nice, you know."

"Oh, Alan. You were already so nervous and anxious. I didn't want to make it any worse by telling you that she succeeded in scaring Rob, too."

"She scared Rob?"

She laughed.

"Yeah. Oh, and by the way, he wants you to call him when we get back."

© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	20. Chapter 20: The Dawning Of A New Year

  


Chapter 20: The Dawning Of A New Year

  


_December 31, 1991 - Tuesday_

  


Everyone gathered around the kitchen, while Rob began to place the food all around. As it was every year, he was in charge of the New Years Eve party, and he took the job very seriously. Alan had always told Ellie that Rob was an excellent cook, but she never really believed him. He was about to put to the ultimate test, though, as Patricia Sattler was in attendance, and she was watching Rob like a hawk.

"Okay, everyone. Dig in! Grub is ready," Rob said, clapping his hands together, and looking rather proud of himself.

Ellie grabbed a plate and was the first one to walk up to the food. She smiled at Rob.

"I can't believe it. Everything is beautiful, Rob. I'm sorry I doubted you," she said, leaning in and giving him a small peck on the cheek.

Rob smiled.

"Well, you haven't tried it yet," he joked.

Ellie shook her head and then began to load her plate with the various delicious-looking foods in front of her. With a full plate, she turned around, looking for Alan.

"Rob, have you seen Alan?"

Rob shrugged and then laughed.

"Perhaps your mother hunted him down and killed him in the backyard," he suggested.

Ellie smirked at him.

"I'll explain it to you again, Robert. My mother likes him now. Understand?"

"You keep telling yourself that. But, have you really thought about it clearly. I'll lay it out for you, dear," Rob said, slightly patronizing her, "Okay, she hated Alan. Then, Alan fell down . . . went boom . . . and almost knocked himself out. Then, wow! Your mother liked him."

"So," Ellie answered.

Rob playfully overreacted by opening his mouth in a grand fashion, pretending to be surprised that she didn't get it.

"Wake up, lady! She's only happy when he's hurting himself," Rob said, laughing, ". . . and that is why, at this very instant . . . she's killing him in the backyard."

Ellie laughed and was about to say something in return, when she heard the back door open. She turned in time to see Alan coming into the kitchen from outside in the backyard. He was carrying a case of beer. She smiled and then looked at Rob again.

"It's amazing!" Rob exclaimed, "Look at that! He was able to escape the evil clutches of the Witch of Eastwick!"

Balancing her plate, she slapped Rob in the shoulder, and then walked toward Alan.

"The beer is outside?" She questioned.

"Yeah. It's cold enough out there, so Rob stores it in the shed out back. It was my turn to get it, I guess."

She nodded, as she watched him put the case down. People suddenly came out of nowhere to get a beer, which caused her to laugh. Seconds later, she had already forgotten about that and looked at the handsome man in front of her. Alan was wearing one of those white shirts, that she loved so much.

"The food looks great. Why don't you get a plate?" She whispered, as she got really close to him.

He smiled and leaned in, giving her a kiss, which lasted longer than their usual kisses in public.

Patricia had been in the living room, talking with a few of the dig site volunteers, basically trying to get to know some of the people her daughter was spending time with. Apparently, every year for the last six years, Rob had hosted this event. People would actually drive and/or fly in to hang out during the holidays, and then go to wherever it was that had come from. They seemed like a happy bunch, and Patricia had found herself laughing with them a few times, which had surprised her.

She stood up to get some of the so-called food that Rob, the silly fool, had been preparing, when she saw her daughter standing in the kitchen, kissing Alan Grant. Her first initial reaction was to march right over there and ruin it, but then she noticed how happy her daughter looked. She decided to simply observe for a while, as she found a chair to sit in that allowed her the perfect view into the kitchen. She watched Ellie blindly reach back, putting her plate on the table, and then she wrapped her arms around Alan, embracing him tightly. Patricia noticed that he rocked her back and forth while embracing Ellie, and thought that had been a nice touch. Her daughter looked absolutely happy, as she talked and smiled at the man she claimed she loved. They really did make a nice couple and Patricia was ready to just be happy for her daughter. It looked as though she had found "the one".

They walked to a different part of the kitchen and she couldn't see them anymore. She stood up and walked to the kitchen doorway. Getting ready to walk into the kitchen to fill a plate of her own, she was detained in the doorway by Rob.

"So, Mother Sattler, do you know about the holiday rules?" He asked,

She could see that he was on the verge of being drunk, which annoyed her for some reason. He wasn't fall-down drunk, by any means, but he was acting very happy. She played along with his stupid game, just for now.

"Holiday rules?"

"Oh, yes," Rob said, pointing above them.

Patricia looked above her head and saw a mistletoe hanging in the doorway. She sighed and then cringed, as she looked back at Rob, who was staring at her.

"If you try to kiss me under this mistletoe, young Mr. Tandy, this will be your last New Year's Eve on earth. Do you understand me?"

Rob smirked. This woman was still capable of scaring him, even when he was feeling the effects of alcohol.

"Oh, fine. You're no fun."

Patricia watched him very closely, as he made his way past her. He saw that she was watching him, so he kept pretending as if he was going to kiss her anyway. After a few seconds, though, he gave up and went into the living room.

"You owe me a kiss!" He yelled, as he disappeared.

Shrugging and shaking her head, she made her way into the kitchen. After filling up a plate, she walked to where Alan and Ellie were standing. Alan quickly cleared away a spot for her to eat at the kitchen table. She smiled politely and sat down on the chair that he had pulled out for her.

Before there was time to start talking to each other, Rob's front door opened. Alan heard Rob yell in a jovial manner.

"Carl! Buddy! How have you been?"

Alan excused himself and walked into the living room to see Carl Porter. As he walked up to his colleague from the dig site, Rob asked the exact question he was thinking about asking.

"So, Carl. Give us a status report. Don't be shy. We're all family here," he said, grabbing Porter by the shoulder and shaking him for a second.

Porter smiled from ear to ear, as he pushed Rob's arm away.

"I'm a free man!" He shouted, holding his arms up like Rocky Balboa.

Rob, who looked as if the news was the single best piece of news he had ever received, hugged Porter, cheering and chanting loudly with him.

"Well, sir. You fought the good fight, and you finally came out . . . well . . . alive. Good job!" Rob said, slapping him on the back.

Porter smiled, and then looked at Alan, extending his hand. After a quick handshake, Porter looked past Alan, toward Ellie.

"Congratulations, by the way, Ellie. Glad to see that you're going to stay on at the dig site."

"Why thank you, Dr. Porter."

"Well, now that we're equals, maybe you'll finally get used to calling me Carl. What do you think?"

Ellie smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"Sure thing."

"Excellent," Porter said. Then, he clapped his hands together and looked at Rob.

"Direct me to the food."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After putting his coat on, Alan went into the backyard again, but this time with a plate full of table scraps. Patricia noticed that Ellie didn't follow him, so she waited a few minutes, grabbed her coat, and then followed him outside. She found him standing near the fence line in the back, feeding the dog that was waiting patiently back there. She smiled as she walked closer.

"So, you're a dog person, I take it," she said. 

He quickly looked behind him, to see who it was. He was kind of surprised to see her near him and, after noticing that it was just the two of them out there, he became very nervous.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I guess I am," he said awkwardly. He gestured toward the chocolate lab that was waiting for him to give up more food, "This is Bear."

"Well, hi there, Bear," she said, petting him. She could see that she had startled Alan, so she added, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, that's okay. I just wasn't expecting anyone to be out here, that's all," he said, his breath showing up in the cold as he spoke.

His accent was very cute. She found herself wanting to talk to him more, just to hear him speak.

"I have to admit something to you, Alan."

"What's that?"

"You make my daughter very happy."

Alan reached down to pat the dog on the head, and then looked at her.

"Your daughter makes me very happy, as well. I love her."

"I'm starting to understand that. It's just," Patricia said, thinking, "It's just that she's my only daughter and I really want her to be safe and happy. She left home, in pursuit of a career, and then she ended up falling in love."

"Sometimes, plans change, I guess," Alan said, putting his hands in his coat pockets.

"I didn't mean to make it sound like a bad thing."

Alan looked at her, but didn't respond, except for with a smile.

"Okay, well, maybe I did intend on that sounding bad," she admitted, smiling back.

"I know you're looking after her. And you should. It shows how much you care," he said, thinking he was beginning to sound corny.

Patricia didn't see it as corny in the least. She was starting to see why Ellie liked this man so much. He was gentle, understanding, caring, as well as good looking. She decided to talk about something more personal to herself. She wasn't sure if it was the right time, but it was the holidays, and she was feeling a little down, so she wanted to talk with someone who would understand.

"Ellie told me you lost your wife a few years ago."

Alan, surprised by the change in topic, went along with it.

"Uh, yes, I did. Her name was Kathryn."

"And I understand that Ellie will be working with her father?"

"Yeah. Small world sometimes, isn't it?" Alan said.

"Yes, it is."

There was a silence that lasted about a minute. Alan was petting the dog and Patricia was lighting up a cigarette.

"I didn't know you smoked," he said.

"Only when I'm depressed or nervous."

"So, which are you?"

"Depressed," she answered, looking around.

"I'm nervous," Alan said, laughing, "Nervous and cold."

Patricia laughed, too. She was still making him nervous, which wasn't really her intention at this point, but she was secretly happy that he still seemed weary of her.

"Wanna head back inside?"

"Yeah, I think so. But, by all means, finish that cigarette first."

"Don't mind if I do," she said, smiling at him. She took a few puffs, exhaled and then continued, "I lost my husband at a very young age, like you lost your wife. It's really hard to get over something like that."

"Yeah, Ellie had told me about that. I'm sorry." 

"It's been so long for me now. I've learned to cope with it. It only really gets to you during holidays, know what I mean?"

"I certainly do," Alan said, nodding.

"Having someone around that loves you, though, must help a lot," she said, referring to her daughter.

Alan nodded and smiled. Patricia continued.

"I never really had a significant other, after Ellie's father. I guess no one could compare to what he was to me."

"Maybe the right someone just hasn't come into your life yet."

She laughed.

"Well, I certainly hope they hurry the hell up. I'm not getting any younger."

Alan joined in her laughter. Patricia finished her cigarette and they began to walk back inside.

"By any chance, you wouldn't happen to have a brother . . . about ten or fifteen years older than you?" She joked.

"I'm afraid I'm an only child, Mrs. Sattler."

"Just my luck," she said, laughing again, "Oh, and please call me Patricia. You're making me feel old."

"Okay. I'll do that," he said, smiling.

As they walked toward the house, Alan noticed Rob running by the window. Then an instant later, he saw him reappear in the window, pointing toward the backyard and yelling to his right. When they were close enough to hear what he was yelling, Alan laughed as he heard his friend ramble on.

"Ellie! I don't know how she did it! But she managed to trap Alan in the backyard! She's about to kill him right now! God help him! Ellie! Where are you! You need to save him! Ellie? Where the hell are you? Anyone seen Ellie?"

Alan shook his head and looked at Patricia.

"Is that man really your best friend? I'm hoping Ellie was joking," she commented.

"He's a good guy. He's just in need of his medication," he playfully whispered, as he opened the back door for her.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


About an hour after dinner, Alan and Patricia were sitting at the table, talking. Ellie had gotten a phone call and had left them alone, which made her a little bit uneasy. Alan seemed to be holding his own, though, so she felt it would be okay to go.

Alan saw her hang up the phone and come back to the table.

"That was Allison. She wanted to wish us all a Happy New Year."

"Where is she?" Alan asked.

"Home. She really wanted to come out here, but she couldn't get away."

"That's too bad."

"She missed a very nice dinner," Patricia added.

Ellie looked at her mother. Did she just say something totally unexpected and nice? Yes, she certainly did.

"I agree. Rob really can cook," Ellie said.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Alan joked. "Speaking of Rob. Anyone know where he is?"

Ellie and Patricia shook their heads no.

"I'm going to go and look for him."

"Okay. Good luck," Ellie said, smiling.

Alan nodded and left the kitchen, asking everyone he came into contact with, if they had seen Rob. Ellie stood up to leave the kitchen, too, when her mother stopped her for a minute.

"I'm happy for you, Ellie. It looks like you're truly happy," Patricia said, hugging her daughter.

Ellie, completely taken aback by her mother's affection and honesty, couldn't think of anything to say. She settled on simply returning the hug, with tears beginning to form in her eyes, as she held onto her mother. They had been through a lot together as a family. It had always just been the two of them really, except for the occasional boyfriend that her mother would bring home. It had been a very long time since there was a male influence though, and when Ellie went away to school, she had left her mother alone. She had always felt a little bit guilty about leaving Georgia, but Patricia was insistent that she get on with her life and go to college . . . to become someone, to follow her dreams of being a scientist.

"I love you," Ellie finally managed to whisper, in between her joyful sobbing.

Patricia let her daughter go and looked at her closely, wiping away a few of her own tears that were beginning.

"This wasn't exactly the path I was hoping you'd take, but it looks as though you're doing well, in career and in love."

Their conversation was interrupted, when Rob hurried by them, heading down the hallway. Ellie thought it was a little strange, but she did her best to ignore him, only telling him that Alan was looking for him.

"Yes, I am," she answered her mother.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but career and love hardly ever fit together, Ellie. You are truly a very lucky woman, to be able to have both."

She was about to answer again, when Rob came back from the other way, hurrying past them again. Ellie noticed that he had something in his hand, but he flew by so fast, she didn't notice what it was. She ignored him once again, and answered her mother.

"I know I'm lucky. All my life, I've dreamed of having a career and having a man to share my life with. All girls dream of that, Mom. And my dreams have all come true."

Patricia's attention was diverted for a second, as she looked toward the kitchen.

"I'm just glad you didn't pick that half-wit to fall in love with."

Ellie looked where her mother pointed, and saw Rob in the kitchen. He had no shirt on now and was kind of drunk, leaning back, balancing a toilet plunger on his forehead. There were more people in the kitchen, surrounding him, cheering him on. Ellie didn't really want to know why he was doing that, so she did her best to ignore it. She turned to her mother.

"Rob has his own kind of charm, Mom. Trust me. The right girl will wrangle him in, and settle him down someday."

"God help that poor girl," Patricia said.

Ellie couldn't help but laugh, as she knew her mother was probably right.

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"Hey! Hurry! Someone turn on the tube!" Rob yelled.

Someone turned on the television, and Dick Clark was there, talking about how there was only three minutes left until the new year. Everyone gathered together in the living room and watched as there was only one minute left. The countdown began in the corner of the television screen and, when it got to twenty, everyone joined in and counted down with it.

" . . . Four, three, two, one!" Everyone shouted.

Immediately afterwards, people cheered, both on the television and in the living room. People began to kiss and hug each other. Rob had even managed to steal a quick kiss from Patricia in all the hoopla. Alan held onto Ellie and smiled, as the celebration was happening all around them. They didn't notice, though. All they noticed was each other, as they began to kiss, bringing in the new year properly.

  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	21. Chapter 21: A Breed Of Child Dr Grant C

  


Chapter 21: A Breed Of Child Dr. Grant Could Be Intriguing

  


April 24, 1992 – Friday

  


Alan stepped out of his trailer to take in the morning sun. It was 6:30am and he was already dressed and prepared for the day. It was the first official day back at the dig site, after the winter months, and the very unsuccessful trip to Mongolia. Not finding something substantial there, made him even more determined to try and find something substantial in Montana this summer. He loved mornings, and since it was morning . . . and a beautiful one at that, he was in a great mood. He was about to take a look around, when Ellie called to him.

"You're drinking coffee?" She asked, as she stepped out of the trailer.

Alan looked down at the coffee cup in his hand.

"I believe I am, yes. That's not a crime, is it?"

Ellie was dressed and ready for the day, too. She was wearing jeans and a blue shirt. She walked down the steps, taking a good look at him. He was wearing the usual khaki pants, along with a white button-down shirt. She made it to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, ruffling the collar on his shirt.

"It could be a crime. Want me to arrest you?"

"Sounds like it could be fun," he said, smiling.

Ellie had taken advantage of her day off from the University of Denver, to spend the weekend back in Montana with Alan. She had gotten in very late the night before, but she seemed wide awake anyway.

"It would be an interrogation that you wouldn't soon forget," she said, kissing him.

The romantic interlude was interrupted.

"Ahem," Rob cleared his throat, "Can't you guys get that stuff finished before you come outside?" He teased.

"You're just jealous," Alan said, smiling.

"Yeah, that's it," Rob said, rolling his eyes, "I'm feeling left out. Think you guys could include me in some of the goings on?"

Ellie laughed and took Alan's cup from his hand.

"That's my queue to leave," she said, as she headed back to the trailer.

"Hey, I wasn't finished with that!" Alan yelled to her back, but to no avail.

"Yes, you were," she said, not even turning around.

Rob observed how Alan just let her have her way without arguing.

"Yeah, my friend. I'm really jealous of that. You're not even in charge of your own brain anymore."

"Did you need something?" Alan asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, yeah. There's a guy here that wants to talk to you about one of your favorite subjects," Rob said, snickering.

Alan took in a deep breath.

"What's that?"

"Computers," Rob answered. His snickering turned into laughter.

"Great. Where is he?" Alan asked.

"Come on, I'll show ya."

"Okay, let me get Ellie."

Rob nodded and watched Alan jog to the trailer door. It didn't even look like he had ever hurt his leg now. It had healed that well. After a quick disappearance, Alan returned outside with Ellie following him. The three of them began to walk away from the trailer.

"Why is there a computer guy here so early in the morning?" Alan wondered aloud.

"I guess he wanted to catch you in a good mood."

Alan stopped. Ellie stopped right behind him, watching the drama unfold.

"How would he know?" Alan asked in a dubious voice.

Rob looked at him.

"Okay, okay. He was here yesterday afternoon. I told him to come back first thing in the morning, because you're more cheerful and somewhat agreeable then."

Alan threw his good friend a brief and unpleasant stare, and then he finally managed to crack a smile.

"Lead the way," Alan said, gesturing toward Rob.

Rob began walking and then he laughed.

"Oh, and to top off the computer thing, this guy has two kids," Rob said, smiling.

Alan stopped again, shook his head, and then continued. Ellie was puzzled.

"What's wrong with that?" She asked either of them.

"Alan and kids. Two words that do NOT belong together," Rob explained, laughing, "They usually like him for one reason or another, but he isn't very fond of them. Are you, Alan?"

"Not really."

"Kids aren't that bad," Ellie said.

This was the first she had heard about this little pet peeve. How could someone who devoted his life to dinosaurs . . . not like children? Kids were almost always fascinated by dinosaurs, so why not try and relate to them on a general level.

"Kids are annoying. They're always in the way. They're always asking stupid questions. And they're just underfoot all of the time." Alan seemed to be rambling.

Ellie had to take a double glance at this man she thought she knew. He had a very negative attitude about children and she was stunned by it.

"Wow. Well, maybe you shouldn't look so much into it. Just go with the flow. Have some fun with the little people. You know, you could dazzle their impressionable young minds with your knowledge of dinosaurs," she said, trying to get him to warm up to the idea of tolerating little kids.

Alan stared at her for a second before he carefully thought of something to say. It occurred to him that no matter what he said, he'd be in trouble. If he agreed, he would be lying, and would eventually get caught. If he disagreed, then she would look at him in an unfavorable light for the first time. Either way, he would lose, so he decided to be neutral.

"Can we talk about this later?"

"Yeah," she said, disappointed.

Quite happy with how she let the question get put off until another day, Alan didn't say another word about it. He smiled, and then frowned, as he dreaded when that day would come back to haunt him.

They continued to follow Rob, who was quite a way up from them. They walked around some tents that some volunteers were setting up. It was traditional for the volunteers to get there a few weeks before the students. There were two reasons for this. It was easier to get acquainted with two smaller groups of people, instead of one large one mixed with different types of people. And the students wouldn't get out of school until the first or second week in May.

Finally, Rob pointed to someone who was standing under a tent. There were two young children playing very close to the man. Everyone met underneath the tent. Rob made the introductions.

"Mr. Brian Gates, this is Doctors Grant and Sattler."

Alan shook the man's hand.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Gates?" He asked.

"Oh, please call me Brian."

Alan nodded and the man continued.

"I was interested in showing you a demonstration of some new technology in the world of Paleontology, sir."

"Oh?" Alan commented.

"Yes. You see, there is a new computer program that is able to take pictures of fossils while they safely remain in their burial places."

Alan didn't want to waste this man's time. Computer programs sounded like it would be expensive and he couldn't even afford to pay the expenses now. Plus, the two little kids were now digging rather large holes in the dirt right next to where they were standing. He was already annoyed by them after less than a minute.

"Brian," Alan began, "I'm sure this new computer stuff is fascinating, but we don't have the means to pay for something like that."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Dr. Grant. This is very new technology and it hasn't been tested in the field yet. In fact, it won't be ready for use until next summer. I assure you that you wouldn't have to pay for it. In fact, if all goes well, my company would be willing to compensate you for the right to test it here."

Ellie interrupted.

"It hasn't even been tested yet?"

"No, not yet, Dr. Sattler. I was hoping to get permission to field-test it here. Possibly at the beginning of the next summer season."

Alan noticed how the man was able to remember Ellie's name and it impressed him somewhat. He decided to inquire a little bit further.

"What would you require from me?" Alan asked.

"Just a shady spot to set up the computer and the coordinates of some of the fossils."

Alan wasn't crazy about the idea. He was about to tell the guy no, when he noticed how intrigued Rob and Ellie were, with what the man was saying. He decided to let Ellie handle it.

"Well, Brian. Why don't you give more information about this to Dr. Sattler. She can make the decision."

Ellie looked at Alan with both surprise and joy. It looked as if she was getting more responsibility already. After a quick change in facial expressions, she moved past Alan and assumed her more serious role in the situation. Alan was content with his minor role, as he was able to sneak away, leaving Rob and Ellie with the computer guy . . . and his kids.

Or so he thought.

"Excuse me, mister?" A tiny voice said.

Alan looked down to see a little girl staring up at him. He didn't answer her. He just stared back at her. Brian noticed that his five-year-old daughter was bothering him, so he called out to her.

"What is it, Megan?"

Little Megan turned away from Alan and looked at her father.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she said in a cute little voice.

Ellie smiled, excused herself from Brian and Rob, and then walked over to where Megan and Alan were standing. She reached a hand out to the little girl and Megan took it.

"Come on, honey. I'll show you where a bathroom is."

Megan began walking with Ellie, but the little girl kept turning to look at Alan. For a few seconds, Alan looked at her, too, but then he focused on Ellie.

"Aren't you supposed to be talking to him?" He asked, pointing toward Brian.

"Rob can handle it for a minute."

Alan nodded and then turned around. Megan was eyeing him the entire time. When he turned away, the little girl looked up at Ellie.

"Who is that man? The man with the hat?"

"His name is Dr. Grant," Ellie answered, smiling.

Megan had a different idea about who that man was. He had a brown hat, work boots, tan-colored pants, a white buttoned shirt, and the slight start of a beard.

"He looks like Indiana Jones."

Ellie laughed.

"No, honey. That's not Indiana Jones."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, sweetie."

Megan didn't really believe her, but she let it go for now. She had watched the Indiana Jones movies on videotape and had worn them out, by viewing them so many times. She wasn't about to be fooled. She just knew that it was him. They reached a nearby trailer and Ellie carried her up the stairs and pointed her in the direction of the bathroom.

  


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Alan was outside listening to Brian and Rob discuss the computer program. Things rapidly went over his head, as they continued to talk in computer lingo. While glancing around, he noticed that Brian's other child was now burying something in the hole he had made. He nervously looked around to see if Brain was going to do something about it, but the little boy's father didn't notice. He walked over to the boy.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a somewhat stern voice.

"Digging."

A very direct answer, Alan thought. But yet, annoying to him.

"What did you bury?" He asked, trying to get to the bottom of the situation, and to get a useful answer out of the miniature adult.

"Nothing."

The boy was a little older than the girl, but Alan wasn't sure of his exact age. One thing he knew, for certain, was that the little brat was lying. The direct and mean approach didn't seem to phase the kid, so he tried another approach. He smiled, trying very hard to make it look genuine.

"I saw you bury something."

Even at his young age, the boy could see that man before him wasn't sincere.

"No, you didn't," the boy said, challenging him.

"Yes. Yes, I did."

Alan was getting mad. The boy could see that, but it didn't look like he cared much, as he continued to throw dirt over the hole. Alan stood over the boy, staring at the blonde hair on the back of the boy's head, as he pushed the dirt around. He was getting even more angry, as he bent down and began to remove the dirt from the hole. In just a few seconds, Alan had uncovered what the kid had put into the hole.

"If you didn't bury anything, what is this?" He asked, holding up a pair of sunglasses riddled with dirt.

"I don't know," the boy answered, as he got up and ran to his father.

Alan shook his head in disbelief. Ellie had wanted him to give these little terrors a chance, but how could he possibly get along with such annoying human beings. They were always lying and yelling and running around like little monsters. He stood up, placed the extracted sunglasses on a table under the tent, and walked away from Rob and Brian.

  


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Alan walked toward his trailer and passed Ellie and Megan. He smiled at Ellie, but he noticed that the little girl was staring at him, yet again. He smiled and nodded to her in an awkward manner, placing his hands in his back pockets, as he walked away from them. They watched him shuffle off and hurry inside the trailer. Ellie was amused by the little exchange. She wanted to go inside and let him know about the little girl's suspected crush, so she stopped and bent down.

"Okay, Megan. Do you see your Daddy over there?" She asked, gesturing toward Brian and Rob.

Megan nodded. Ellie thought that she was an adorable little girl. She had long blonde hair and the cutest little innocent face. Brian had darker hair, so Ellie just assumed that the mother must have had blonde hair, since the little boy's hair was blonde, too.

"Could you do me a big favor?"

Megan nodded again.

"Oh, good. Could you go over to where your Daddy is and stay close to him? I don't want you to get lost, okay?"

"Okay," the little girl answered.

Ellie watched Megan walk toward the tent where her father was. When she was satisfied that she would get there with no trouble, she turned and hurried to Alan's trailer. She went inside and found him looking up something in a textbook.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Nothing."

"You're doing something, since you're looking in a book."

Alan closed it shut.

"No, I'm not," he said.

Ellie looked at him strangely.

"Ha!" He stated, snapping his fingers and pointing at her.

"What is the matter with you?" She asked.

"I don't know."

Ellie looked like she may become irritable at any second.

"See? That's what that little boy was saying to me outside. The lying little brat."

Ellie could hear words coming from his mouth, but they just weren't intelligible to her.

"Can you start at the beginning? You're talking, but I don't understand you."

"That little kid out there," he said, gesturing outside furiously, "he was burying something in the dirt. I asked him what he was doing and he said nothing. And then, when I found what he said he didn't bury . . . he ran off."

"Alan, I think you're a lost cause."

He thought about that for a second, realizing just how upset this stupid thing had made him.

"Yeah, you could be right," he said, sighing.

Ellie shook her head.

"Okay, well I wanted to tell you something. That's why I came in here."

"What is it?"

"That little girl. Megan. I think she has a small little crush on you."

"What? How do you know?" He asked, suddenly very jittery again.

Ellie laughed.

"Don't look so astonished. I've had a little crush on you for a while now."

She was about to walk over to him and kiss him, when she heard a knock on the door. She went to the door and opened it. It was Megan.

"Well, hi there, sweetie. Couldn't you find your Daddy?"

"Yeah, I found him."

She walked the little girl back down the stairs. Alan walked to the door to observe how Ellie got along with her. Ellie glanced at him standing in the doorway, while Megan looked up at him, too.

"Are you an archeologist?" Megan asked.

Ellie was impressed with the big word she managed to say so easily. But kids were always surprising like that, pronouncing dinosaur names before they could even say normal everyday words. She looked at Alan, waiting for him to answer the little girl.

"Uh . . . no. I'm not." Finally stumbled out of him.

Megan looked disappointed, but then she smiled again.

"Oh, I get it," she said, making her way back up the steps and getting closer to Alan. "You're on a secret mission," she whispered.

Alan just stared at her while Ellie smiled. Megan continued.

"That's okay. I won't tell anyone," the little girl whispered.

Trying not to burst out laughing, Ellie quickly walked up the stairs and grabbed Megan's hand.

"Okay, honey. Let's go find your Daddy."

Ellie helped her down the stairs and then let her hand go, watching Megan walk away. Looking back at Alan, Ellie couldn't help but smile. The confused look on his face was one of the most comical things she had ever witnessed, looking as though that sweet little girl was from another planet. She whispered so that Megan didn't hear.

"She thinks you're Indiana Jones, honey."

Alan nodded, but he didn't seem very convinced about the explanation. To him, kids were a bundle of confusion and that little girl just proved his theory yet again. Ellie noticed his expression.

"Don't worry, though. You're better looking than Indiana Jones."

He gave her another strange look and went back inside. He walked past a mirror, stopped and took a good look at himself. He ran a hand over his face and chin.

"Indiana Jones," he mumbled to himself angrily, "I really need to shave."

  


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Later in the afternoon, Alan came back from setting up some equipment, and found that Brian's truck was still parked in the same place. It made him angry. Not because Brian was probably still taking up Rob and Ellie's time, which was bad enough, but if Brian was still here that meant his kids were still running around somewhere. As he was having this thought, little Megan found him.

"Where's Miss Ellie?" She asked him.

Alan just stared at her for a second, just like before. She wasn't going away. Ellie wasn't coming to get her this time, either. He had to talk to her.

"I'm not sure. When's the last time you saw her?"

"I don't know."

Alan settled for just staring at her again. Megan just stared right back, making him uneasy.

"Can I go on an adventure with you?" She asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"I won't get in the way," she explained.

"What are you talking about?"

"I could help."

Alan stared at her again, and then began to look around.

"Let's find your Dad, okay?" He said, in his nicest voice.

Megan looked disappointed.

"But, I don't want to," she said, looking way up at him, "I want to stay with you."

Again, he stared at her, and then he noticed Ellie walking toward them. He sighed with relief as he made a gesture with his arm for Ellie to come over there.

Ellie was still quite a distance away, but she could easily see little Megan standing next to Alan. She smiled as she made her way to them.

"What's up guys?" She asked.

Megan was about to say something, but then Alan interrupted her.

"Do you know where Brian and Rob are?" He asked.

"Yeah. They're about to call it a day. They're over by Trailer B," she answered, as she leaned down and playfully messed up Megan's long blonde hair. "I was just coming to get you."

Alan nervously nodded and began to walk in the direction of Trailer B. Ellie waited until he was a few yards in front of her, and then she and Megan began to walk the same way. Megan quickly caught up to Alan though. Ellie smiled as she watched Megan walk right by his side, mimicking his every step. It really was a shame how he despised children. It was obvious that he was interesting enough to grab their attention. He was just so nervous and grumpy around them.

Alan did his best to ignore the little girl, as he glanced at Ellie.

"So, did you make a decision?"

"Yes, I did. I told him that it sounded good to me. He'll come back Monday, to survey the land and get a report together. Then, he'll come back next summer and attempt to set it all up and get it running."

Alan nodded uneasily, causing Ellie to smile.

"It'll be a good thing, Alan."

"Uh-huh."

"You're not going to worry about this for the entire year, are you?" Ellie said, joking at first, but then thinking that it may have been a real question, after all.

"No, no. I'm going to trust your judgment."

"Good."

  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	22. Chapter 22: Innovative Campaigns and Fa

  
  


_I would like to take a second to thank everyone who had read the story up to this point. It's going to be 32 chapters in total and then I plan on writing more about my two favorite scientists. Included will be their breakup between JP1 and JP3 and then ultimately, their getting back together (which happens in my other story, JP New Beginnings) and then onto their marriage. Yes, marriage. They need a happy ever after, don't you think? Of course, as with what always seems to happen to Alan and Ellie ... the whole marriage process doesn't quite come together perfectly. That would be no fun if it did!_

  


_So here's the next few chapters of "Alan &Ellie". Enjoy and please comment, since comments are the things that keep me motivated. :)_

  


_-yvonne_

  
  


Chapter 22: Innovative Campaigns and Family Skeletons

  


_May 8, 1992 - Friday_

  


After getting a late start, Ellie was on her way back to the campsite. When she had woken up, a cold had snuck up on her, attacking her in her sleep. After resting for most of the morning, she had decided to give work a try, even though Alan had told her that she didn't officially have to do anything, since she wasn't quite finished with the University of Denver. Still, since she was there, and he was working, she felt as though she should be working, too. It only took about an hour in the hot sun, to realize it wasn't going well, so she opted for more rest. On the way back, she spotted Rob coming from around the back of his trailer.

"What are you doing?" She asked, as an uninvited cough ended her question.

Rob stepped back and covered his face.

"Whoa. Get away. Rob wants to stay healthy."

"Very funny," she said.

Rob took his hand away from his face and laughed.

"I was just reclaiming my barbeque grill from Carl Porter."

"Is that right?" She said.

"Okay, well . . . so it's really his stupid grill. There. You caught me."

"It really doesn't matter to me, either way."

"You are definitely no fun, when you're sick."

"Sorry," she said softly.

"Well, since you seem so interested, I'm stealing this from Porter because someone needs to stop him from making that horrible smelling food he has suddenly found a craving for."

"Okay, Rob," she said, in a thoughtless way.

Rob frowned, as he came to the conclusion that she didn't care.

"I'm doing everyone a favor! Trust me there, miss sicky."

Ellie rolled her eyes. As they stood there, she heard the faint sound of a phone ringing.

"Isn't that your phone?" Ellie asked, wiping away a bead of sweat from over her eye.

Rob listened intently for a minute.

"I believe you are right, Dr. Sattler."

Ellie smiled. She liked the sound of having the title "Dr." inserted before her last name. Rob laughed and ran toward his trailer. The door was always left unlocked, so he quickly went inside, heading for the phone.

"Hello?" Rob said, slightly out of breath.

"Hey jerk," a female voice said on the other end.

Rob smiled broadly. He hadn't heard this particular voice in quite a while, but he instantly recognized it.

"Hey loser," he replied in return.

"So, how's it going?"

"Pretty good, Kara. You?"

"Well, one thing's for sure. I'm younger than you," she said, teasing him.

"Look, little sister. You're only three minutes younger than me, so I wouldn't be so happy if I were you."

"Good point. But the fact remains, you will be the big 3-0 before me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rob sighed. "So, what's up?"

"I was just wondering what you were doing for your birthday."

"I haven't really thought about it."

"Robster, it's in two days."

"I am aware of the date in which I will become a part of a new decade of people."

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, chuckling.

"Uh, well, anyway . . . I'm going to come down there to see ya."

"Really?" Rob asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah. The last birthday we spent together was like . . . " Kara tried to remember the last time they were together.

"Four years ago," Rob said, interrupting.

"Exactly. Four years is way too long."

"What about Dad?" He said, getting very serious all of a sudden.

"He's not coming."

Rob managed a smile.

"I know that, Kara. You know what I mean."

"Well, Dad isn't stopping me this time. He can't run everything that happens in life."

"He's going to get angry."

"I don't care. I want to spend my birthday with the one person who truly understands what I'm going through. We still have an unspoken bond, Rob. I can feel it. I feel it every day."

Always being the funny and supportive guy for everyone, Rob suddenly felt as if he could break down, all alone in his trailer. His eyes began to water, as he listened to his sister talk about how close she believed them to be. He felt the same way, but he hardly ever let himself think about the family that just wasn't as close as it used to be. Wiping away the tear that was about to drop, he cleared his throat.

"Not that twin bond mumbo jumbo again," he joked, his voice not quite sounding normal yet.

There was a silence for a few moments.

"Okay, well, I've got to go. I'm planning on driving down there tomorrow, okay?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Bye . . . jerk."

"Bye loser," he said, laughing. Then he added, "Drive carefully. I love ya."

"Love you, too, Rob."

The phone on her end clicked and then a dial tone was heard. Rob stood there, holding the phone to his ear still. After a moment, he hung it up and rushed back outside. He wanted to tell Ellie the news, but when he got outside, she wasn't there anymore. He figured she must have left to get some rest.

  


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Darkness was creeping up on the evening, when Rob emerged from his trailer again. He hadn't seen Alan or Ellie since his sister had called, so he decided to hunt them down. They weren't in or near Alan's trailer, or any other trailer in the vicinity. Disappointed, he began to walk toward his truck, when he heard laughing from somewhere very close. He followed the laughter, which sounded mostly like Ellie, and found her with Alan. They were leaning up against Alan's truck, laughing and talking. Ellie had her arms around Alan's neck.

"Isn't love grand?" He said, interrupting them.

When Ellie heard Rob's voice, she quickly removed her hands from Alan, acting as if she were just caught doing something horrible. Then, after giving it some thought, she laughed at her own stupid behavior.

"Love is grand. Yes," Alan said, smiling.

"You know, she's infected with some sort of horrible illness. It's inevitable that you will get it, now that you've come into contact with that airborne virus she's carrying."

"Shut up, Rob," Alan said.

Rob was about to retort, when Ellie cut off his upcoming, obviously stupid, response.

"So, who was on the phone earlier? I was waiting for you, but you were talking forever, so I left to get some sleep." Ellie said, turning to look at him.

"My sister," he answered. And then, looking at her a little longer, he added, ". . . interrupter Jones."

"Kara?" Alan asked, quite shocked.

"Yeah. She's planning on driving down here tomorrow. Wants to celebrate our birthdays together."

"That's great!" Alan said.

"Your birthdays?" Ellie asked, catching the plural of the word.

"Rob has a twin sister," Alan answered.

"Yep," Rob said, nodding proudly.

"Oh, man. There's another Tandy out there," she teased.

"Don't worry. She's the intellectual and stable Tandy."

"Oh, I already figured that one," Ellie added, smiling.

"Ha, ha, ha," Rob added.

"It'll be good to see Kara again," Alan said.

"I'm very much looking forward to it, myself," Rob said.

"Is she driving down alone?"

"Yeah," Rob answered, looking at them more carefully. They were standing next to Alan's truck and it was getting kind of late. "Oh, I'm sorry. You guys were leaving. I'll catch you later."

"You want to go get a beer and talk about things, Rob?" Alan asked to his back.

Rob turned around.

"Nah, it's okay," he said, thinking, "I guess, tomorrow, we can all go have a beer somewhere and talk about things," he added.

"Okay. But if you need anything. Call," Alan said.

"Sure thing. Thanks Alan."

Alan nodded, and he and Ellie watched Rob walk toward his own truck, which was parked quite a distance away. Just then, it began to rain. Alan and Ellie quickly made it inside the truck and Alan started it. In no time at all, it began to down pour.

"May showers are worse than April showers," Ellie commented.

Alan didn't respond. She could see that he was watching Rob, who had made it to his own truck now, trudging through the sudden storm.

"So, what's the story with Rob and Kara?" She asked.

"They haven't seen each other in a few years now," Alan answered. Then he added, "Probably more than just a few years actually. Time certainly does fly when you get old."

Ellie laughed.

"You're not old. Stop that."

"You are very bossy. Anyone ever tell you that?" He teased, as he began to drive the truck away from the dig site.

"All the time," she admitted, then "So, Rob and Kara. What happened? Why don't they see each other anymore?"

"Their father, mostly."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Rob's father disowned him about eight or nine years ago. I'm not exactly sure what happened there, but I do know that Rob hasn't seen any of them in person for a while, with the exception of Kara."

"What about his mother?"

"She's been out of the picture for years, so I'm told. No one in his family has heard from her in more than twenty years."

"That's awful."

Alan nodded in agreement. The rain, rapping against the windshield, was coming down faster than the windshield wipers could keep up. It was getting very difficult to see, causing Alan to slow down.

"And his father refuses to speak with him? That is awful, too," Ellie said, starting to feel anger toward the man that was giving her friend grief.

"Well, it looks like Kara is trying to change that now. So, that's good. I've met her a few times over the years. She's a very friendly and beautiful young woman. It's a shame that they don't spend more time together."

"Sounds like his father is an idiot," Ellie observed.

"My guess is that we'll probably never know. I've only met that man once and didn't say a word to him, I have no idea what Rob might have done."

"Anyone who can disown a child, for any reason, is an idiot. Whatever happened to good old forgiveness and moving on?" She said in an angry tone.

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I didn't do it."

"Sorry about that. I'm just not feeling well."

"Well, let's get you home and take care of you," he said, pulling her toward him.

Ellie leaned her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and thought about how favorable taking care of her sounded. She felt miserable, so a little pampering could do her some good. Then, she looked at the situation differently.

"You shouldn't get so close to me, you'll get sick, too," she said, moving away from him.

"I'm sure there's no way to stop that from happening now. Don't worry about it."

She leaned her head on the back of the seat and turned her head toward him. The rain had let up a little bit, with just the gentle sound of the tiny droplets of water bouncing off the truck.

"You're a very nice man."

Alan looked at her and smiled, as they drove to the house. It was the beginning of the weekend now, and Alan had grown accustomed to spending it in Glasgow with Ellie, letting Dr. Porter take care of the weekends.

  
  


_May 9, 1992 - Saturday_

  


Stirring in his sleep, Rob quickly jumped up and almost fell out of bed. He had been having a nightmare of sorts, but couldn't remember what he had been dreaming about. Whatever it was, it left him feeling extremely sad, almost to the point of tears. He glanced over to the clock. It was 4:30am and it was still dark outside. Sitting up on the side of the bed, he tried to remember even one detail, but there was nothing. He laid back in bed, staying awake and alert for a time, and then finally drifted back to sleep.

  


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It was a beautiful late morning at the dig site and the volunteers were well on their way to getting the place in tip top shape. It would be less than two weeks until the students would show up now, and Rob had things right on schedule. He was quite proud, in fact, that things were going so well. And to make it even better, this year he and Ellie had gotten together a sort of campaign, advertising the dig site to prospective volunteers. It was a new idea, that involved letting completely inexperienced people come and see how a dinosaur dig site worked. The best part was these people were willing to pay, which would really help out the always dwindling financial situation. Ellie had been a big help in getting this campaign off the ground, but had a few reservations about it, after she realized Alan's problem with children. A lot of the people had expressed interest in signing up their children, prompting Rob to buy up some more ad space, to further explain prices and things. The campaign moved forward, with neither of them being brave enough to tell Alan a thing about it so far.

Rob was on the phone, talking to yet another man who wanted to sign up for a weekend in July. After writing all the necessary information down, he pleasantly said his good-byes and hung up the phone. Smiling, he left his trailer in search of Ellie, to tell her about how well things were going. As soon as he got outside, he saw Alan instead.

"Hey, Alan. Great day to be alive, huh?" He asked, shielding the sun from his eyes.

He noticed that Alan looked upset. He looked down and saw that he was holding a piece of paper, cut out from a newspaper. Alan held up the paper.

"What is this?" He asked.

Rob took a closer look at the paper and recognized it to be the ad he was running in one of the local papers.

"Oh, that. I was going to tell you about that. It's a new idea to get some funding for the site. It's working very well, by the way."

Alan, still upset, began to read some of the ad out loud.

_"Whether it is just yourself, or a large group, you can join the Montana 1992 Dinosaur Expedition. You can join for a day to several weeks."_

"Yeah. I wrote that. Doesn't it sound professional?" Rob asked, trying to joke around.

Alan read on farther.__

_ "Families are encouraged to go on a vacation of a lifetime and take part in something educational and fun. So feel free to bring the kids!" _ He said, emphasizing the kids part,_ "Just call now and ask for Rob Tandy."_

Rob searched for something in which to say, but the look Alan was giving him was making it very difficult to think of anything.

"Uh, yeah. Parents pay for each kid, too. It's more money for us in the long run."

Alan glared at him, still holding the paper in his hand. Rob decided that he didn't think he could take the heat alone.

"Ellie helped," he said, implicating her.

Alan shook his head and became a little bit more reasonable-looking.

"Figures," he sighed.

"Oh, come on, Alan. The situation isn't that bad. There'll probably only be a few kids," Rob said, knowing very well that there were going to be a lot more kids than that, since he was the one taking the reservations.

Alan shook his head, handed the piece of newspaper to Rob, and then pointed at him.

"You're taking care of them. I'm not bothering with them at all."

"Absolutely."

"I mean it Rob. I'm not wasting a second on one of those snot-nosed, yelling, crying, kicking, little heathens."

"Wow," Rob snickered, taken aback by Alan's very angry tone. "Don't worry. I'll take care of the inexperienced volunteers . . . and their little darlings."

"Good," Alan said, checking his watch, "I've got to be somewhere, so I'll talk to you later."

"Where you going?"

"I have to meet Carl, to go over some of the placement of tents and things."

"Can't the great Carl Porter figure out what he's doing on his own, by now?"

"I guess not," Alan said, laughing as he thought about it. "He's just being considerate. That's all." Alan began to walk away. "You should try it sometime," he added, not even turning around.

"Sure thing. Maybe that will be one of my "turning 30" resolutions," Rob said to his back. "Probably not though," he added, only loud enough for himself to hear.

Rob watched Alan disappear past some trailers, and then went back to search for Ellie. After about fifteen minutes of searching, he ended up by the research trailer, where he found her moving some stuff around.

"Hey, Ellie."

Placing a stack of reference books on a nearby table, she looked up at him.

"Hey," she said, kind of cheerfully.

"You look like you're feeling better."

"Yeah, I am, surprisingly. I'm just trying to stay out of the sun for a while. It wears me out fast."

"Good idea," Rob said, and then he got to the point, "I just took another reservation for July. That makes fourteen adults and four kids that month."

"That's great. And they all agreed to pay?"

"They sure did. Every single one of them was eager to get a reservation actually. This could turn out to be one of the best things to ever happen to this place."

"We need to stop keeping it from Alan, though."

"Oh, that's no longer a problem."

Ellie's mouth dropped open.

"He knows?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"He found one of the ads."

"Was he mad?"

"A little bit. I smoothed it over with him, though."

She laughed.

"You did, did you?"

"Hey, it's my birthday tomorrow, so I just used that to my advantage."

"That was it?"

". . . And I promised to watch over the kids. Keep them away from him."

"Well, I think you got off easy."

"Me, too," Rob said, laughing with Ellie.

As they continued to talk, a phone in the reference trailer started to ring. Ellie found it on the floor and picked up the receiver.

"Dr. Sattler," she said, answering. "Uh, yes. Yes, he's right here."

After a second, she moved the receiver from her ear and cuffed it with her hand.

"It's for you."

"Who is it?" He asked, taking the phone from her.

She shrugged, indicating that she didn't know.

"Hello," he said. "Yes, this is Rob Tandy."

Ellie watched Rob listen to whomever it was on the phone. His facial expression grew very grim.

"What?" He half shouted.

"What is it?" Ellie whispered to him.

He didn't answer her.

"When?" He said to the phone.

Ellie watched as Rob continued to nod and speak into the phone, looking very serious. He began to desperately and silently gesture to her, telling her that he needed some paper and a pen. She hurried around the trailer, gathering up what he needed, and then handed the stuff to him. He quickly began to write something down, thanked the man on the other end of the phone, and then hung up.

"What happened, Rob?" Ellie said, after waiting long enough for him to say something.

After a beat, Rob finally stopped staring out into space, and looked at her.

"It's Kara. She was in a car accident," he said, still not believing the words himself yet.

He looked as if he were going to fall over, so Ellie grabbed a chair and directed him to sit in it. He looked up at her. Tears were slowly streaming from his eyes.

"How bad?"

He didn't answer.

"How bad, Rob?"

"She's in surgery now," he said, as he suddenly stood up. "I . . . I have to get there right now."

"Okay, okay. Calm down. I'll go get Alan and we'll all go together."

  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	23. Chapter 23: Father And Son Meet Again

  
  
  


__Chapter 23: Father And Son Meet Again

  


_May 9, 1992 - Saturday_

  


The rental car quickly made its way into the parking lot of the St. Vincent Hospital, in Billings, Montana. After a little thought, they had decided to take an airplane, since it would have been about an eight-hour drive. Even with the much shorter hour and a half plane flight, the wait was excruciatingly painful for Rob. Ellie had thought to bring her portable phone, and Rob was able to call the hospital once before boarding the plane to Billings. He was able to get some information, but not as much as he wished. Kara had been in an auto accident in Miles City, and had been flown by emergency chopper, to Billings. From there, she was rushed into the emergency room in the early morning hours. After one successful operation, it was determined that she needed an additional surgery, so she had been rushed into the O.R. again, and that's where she still was. During the call, the phone battery had died, so Rob had been left wondering and waiting. From a payphone in the Billings airport, Rob had found out that she was still in surgery, and the news had made him even more nervous.

Alan drove to the emergency entrance and Rob, who was in the passenger seat, had the door opened before he stopped. Alan was about to go and search for a parking space, when Ellie spoke up from the backseat.

"I'm going to go with him," she said, as she hurried out of backseat to follow Rob.

After finally finding a parking place, that seemed a mile away from the hospital, Alan made his way through the main entrance of the hospital. Out of breath from running, he glanced around. There were a lot of people scattered around, but none that were recognizable. He really didn't think they would be in the lobby anyway, so he made his way to the front desk.

"How can I help you, sir?" A nice, middle-aged woman asked.

"I need information on a Kara Tandy."

The woman looked up the information, and then looked back up at Alan.

"Ms. Tandy is in recovery and cannot be disturbed."

"So, she's out of surgery?"

"Yes, sir. And she cannot be disturbed," the woman answered, looking back down.

"I understand that," Alan said, slightly frowning at the woman's repetitiveness.

"It looks as though a room is being prepared for her," the woman said, looking up. "I just sent another couple up there."

Alan briefly thought about how odd the word "couple" sounded to him, but didn't say anything about it.

"Yes, I dropped them off."

"Well, we can only allow two people up there at a time, sir. It's somewhat restricted. It's the Intensive Care Unit."

"Can't you make an exception? I won't stay long, I promise," Alan said, flashing the woman a smile.

"It is . . . only one more person," she said, sighing, trying to make a decision.

"Please."

After a second or two delay, the woman finally wrote some numbers on a card, and handed it to him.

"Okay, sir. Just go around this desk, get on the visitor elevators to the left, and go to the fourth floor. There is a waiting lounge up there. Her room will be 4016, but she's not in there yet."

"Okay, thank you."

"I hope that I won't regret my decision, sir."

"You won't. Don't worry."

Alan made his way to the fourth floor, found the correct room to see if anyone was in there. It was empty, so he walked to the waiting lounge. Rob was sitting on one of the sofa beds and Ellie was sitting in a chair, talking to him. When Alan appeared, both of them looked up.

"Any word?" Alan asked.

Rob shook his head.

"Not yet. The second surgery went fine, but I don't know any of the details yet," he said.

"Well, at least what you've been able to get was good news," Alan offered.

Rob nodded and then leaned over, placing his head in his hands. Ellie stood up, and took Alan to another part of the room.

"Someone from the emergency room came up here to talk with us," she whispered.

"And?"

"Apparently, they had found directions to the dig site and Rob's name and phone number in her purse, so they called Rob, just as soon as the purse was brought in by the police. Their father was notified after that, and he should probably be here soon."

"Maybe we should leave and give them some space, when he gets here," Alan suggested.

"Are you crazy?" Ellie whispered in a loud sort of way, causing Rob to look their way. When he rested his head back in his hands, Ellie continued, "I'm sure Rob's father is going to be very upset, and mostly at Rob. We can't leave him."

"Well, whatever you think is best," Alan said.

Ellie nodded, and then walked back toward Rob, with Alan following.

"Want something to drink, Rob?" Ellie asked.

Rob looked up slowly.

"Sure. A Coke will be fine."

Alan walked to the vending machine in the lounge, and frowned as the Coca-Cola light was on, indicating that it was out of stock.

"I'm going to get you a Coke, I'll be right back," he said, as he hurried from the room, checking for change in his pocket.

  


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In Alan's absence, a very dramatic reunion began. A man could be heard in the hallway, yelling at someone.

"I don't care about your ridiculous rules! I demand to see my daughter now, damn it!"

"Sir, please calm down. There are a great many patients on this floor," another man said.

"You calm down. Now where is she?"

"She will be brought up here very soon, sir."

"Maybe you didn't hear the question. Where is she right now?"

"In recovery, sir."

"And where is that?" The man said, gesturing with his hands, as if trying to get the information out of the other man more quickly.

From inside the visitor's lounge, Rob stood up. Ellie did the same, looking at him.

"Tell me that's not him," she said, sighing.

"Oh, that's him," Rob answered.

A man, of about 55, prominently came through the door of the visitor's lounge, causing everyone there to look up. He scanned the room for one person in particular, and when he found him, he quickly made his way to him.

"I hope you're happy," Robert Tandy, Sr. said to Rob, in a very eerie-like manner.

"No," was all that Rob said.

"You're always causing trouble in this family," Rob Sr. added.

"I've done nothing wrong," Rob said. Ellie noticed that Rob was barely making eye contact with his father.

"Your sister is in the hospital," Rob Sr. said loudly and condescendingly. "She's only here because you, in all of your selfishness, needed her to drive half way across Montana to see you."

Rob had been very subdued to this point, but he finally became defensive.

"She wanted . . . " He began to say, but then stopped. "I don't have to explain things to you anymore."

"You are a sorry excuse for a human being," his father said, becoming more enraged every second.

His father took a step closer, and that's when Ellie decided to interfere.

  


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Alan was able to find another vending machine, but he had to go to the third floor to do that. He exited the elevator, and walked toward the visitor's lounge. The closer he came to the lounge, the louder the voices became. At first, he heard a stranger's voice, and then noticed how it seemed to escalate very quickly. He could tell the stranger was arguing with someone, and Alan guessed it was Rob's father arguing with Rob. Still following the voices, he rounded the corner, went into the lounge, and found everyone yelling at each other. Just as he arrived, he caught sight of Ellie getting into the yelling match, too.

"I'm sorry to intrude . . . but what in the hell is wrong with you?" She yelled at Rob's father.

"Uh-oh," Alan sighed.

Rob's father stared at the strongly opinionated woman. He was about to yell back, when Rob interrupted.

"Ellie, don't worry about it. It's fine."

"Fine? This man just accused you of something very unnecessary. He needs for someone to bring that to his attention."

Alan grabbed her arm from behind, startling her.

"I think you should stay out of this, don't you?" He suggested, in a strong manner.

"Hey, he started it," she said, gesturing toward the impossible man next to Rob.

"And I'll finish it, too," Rob's father said, as he went after Rob.

He attempted to swing at Rob's face, but missed, as Rob dodged his fist. He ended up hitting him in the shoulder instead. From there, he just settled for tackling his son. The two grown men fell to the floor, with Rob's father getting a lot of cheap shots in, as Rob struggled to free his arms that were pinned beside him.

Alan handed the sodas to Ellie, dashed by her, and made it to them. He pried Rob's father away from Rob, giving his friend some breathing room. Naturally, Rob Sr. took offense to the assistance.

"Alan!" Ellie shouted.

Ellie's voice of warning could be heard, but it was already too late for Alan to move. Rob Sr. hit him square in the jaw, making him stagger sideways into some of the waiting chairs. The people in the waiting room had scattered now, taking cover in the corners of the lounge, watching the drama unfold.

"Stay the hell out of this and never touch me again. You hear me?" Rob's father shouted to Alan, as he rubbed the hand that he used to punch with.

Alan, who was really the only calm one of the bunch, was suddenly and understandably, very upset. He regained his balance, wiped the blood away that was already coming from his mouth, and took a few steps toward his attacker.

As in a role reversal, it was Ellie who was now calm. She placed herself in front of Alan, whispering to him, hoping that her voice would get through to him.

"Okay, okay. Relax. Take it easy," she kept repeating.

Alan gave her a strange look. He wanted to listen, but he had just been hit for no reason, and wanted to retaliate. He gently moved her out of his path, and went toward Rob's father. She got in front of him again, causing his anger to slip away some, but he still sidestepped her and continued toward his assailant. He didn't get too far. Right then, security showed up. Two large men barged into the room, trying to figure out what was going on. They instantly grabbed the man who looked to be the one that was most angry looking, not to mention the only one in movement. Alan. He protested, but the two giant men grabbed him, and began to escort him out. They had a very tight grip on both of his arms, leaving Alan feeling helpless to get out of the situation. He glanced toward the one person he thought could help him.

"Ellie," he whispered, as he was forced past her.

She was about to help in any way that she could, but Rob was back on his feet by then, already talking the large men into releasing Alan.

"Excuse me. He didn't have anything to do with this," Rob tried to explain.

The guards, and the indisposed Alan, were already to the doorway when they stopped. After a brief explanation, and a promise that no more violence would be carried out, all four of them were left in the lounge. The guards seemed disappointed with the decision they had come to, looking as if they were hoping to break some heads. Reluctantly, but yet forcefully, they threw Alan back into the room, and then disappeared down the hallway. Alan shook his head, as he thought about how he had promised that nice lady downstairs that she wouldn't regret letting him in the hospital.

"You okay?" Ellie whispered, as she took hold of his arm.

He nodded, as he sat down. Following his suit, everyone sat down, with Rob and his father sitting a distance away from each other. After five or ten minutes of silence, Rob finally spoke up.

"Did you have to assault my friend?" He asked sternly, not even looking up.

Rob Sr. glared at his son.

"You should teach your badly behaved friend to act more civilized," he said, dramatically straightening out his suit.

Alan made eye contact with the elder Tandy, but didn't do much else. Whatever he might say or do, would inevitably turn into another excuse for father and son to feud.

"Maybe you should apologize for punching him in the face," Rob commented.

"That's not necessary. Really," Alan said, shifting uncomfortably in his chair

"Maybe he should apologize for man-handling my Armani suit!"

Having had quite enough of this senseless bickering that would only lead to another fight, Ellie stood up.

"Rob, why don't we just go take a walk and leave Mr. Miserable to himself."

Rob looked at his father, and then looked back toward Alan and Ellie. He saw Alan nod his head in agreement.

"Okay, let's do that."

Rob stood up and joined his friends by the doorway. Before leaving, he turned around.

"I'm just as worried as you are about her. I don't know why she would drive in a storm in the middle of the night. She must have known how dangerous it could be."

Rob Sr. continued to simply stare at his son. It looked as though he didn't even know the young man talking to him, and that he didn't want to get to know him either. Years and years of bottled up anger had driven a wedge between them, and Rob didn't know how to fix it. He wanted to say more, but he was certain that his father didn't want to hear it anyway. After a formidable silence, Rob lowered his head and walked out into the hallway, with Ellie next to him.

Alan had walked ahead of them and Ellie saw him talking with one of the nurses. As he finished the conversation, he nodded to the nurse, and then approached Rob and Ellie.

"She says there's a smaller waiting room, around the corner."

Ellie nodded, but she could see that Rob was paying no attention. He looked so very distraught. She took Rob by the arm, and followed Alan down the hallway. There was one other woman in the tiny waiting room, and when the three of them walked in, the room was pretty much filled up.

Ellie still had the two cans of Coke in her hand, so she offered one to Rob. He took it graciously, opened it, and consumed just about the whole can. Ellie handed the other can to Alan, and then looked around the room. She found a coffee pot in the corner. Relieved to have finally found her caffeinated beverage of choice, she quickly made her way to it.

"Sorry about you almost getting arrested," Rob said, sitting down and looking at Alan. It was the first thing he had said in quite a while.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Alan said, sitting across from him, "A little adventure never hurt anyone."

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Rob asked.

"Yes. Yes, I do," Alan answered.

After getting her coffee, Ellie sat next to Rob.

"If she's anything like you, she must love life. She'll fight to stay here, Rob. Just like you would," she offered.

"I hope you're right," he said, putting his head down again.

  


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Having been waiting for another hour, Rob heard his father questioning people in the hallway again. His approach was terrible, with him treating everyone inferior, but the information he was seeking was the same information Rob wanted to know, so he listened intently from the small waiting room. After hearing him demand to talk to some type of surgeon, Rob saw his father appear in the doorway.

"They're going to find one of the surgeons," Rob Sr. said.

"I heard," Rob said, looking away from his father.

"This is preposterous, having to wait this long to find out something," Rob Sr. complained.

"It's only been an hour since you arrived," Rob pointed out.

His father began to get angry again.

"Well, it's been quite a lot longer than that, since they had called me. The damn jet wasn't ready, so I decided to drive," he said, glaring at Rob. "How in the hell did you find out about it anyway?"

"She had my phone number and directions to the dig site written down in her purse," Rob explained.

"Someone was nice enough to call him," Ellie added, feeling somewhat justified for bringing herself into the conversation, since she was there when Rob received the call.

It was evident that Rob Sr. was about to respond in a nasty way, when he was interrupted by a woman, who appeared behind him in the doorway.

"Mr. Tandy?" She questioned.

He turned around, quickly answering.

"Yes."

The woman was dressed in blue hospital scrubs and had a surgical mask around her neck. She had a real ambiance about her, and it was easy to tell that she was a woman of importance.

"Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Susan Scaletta, a neurosurgeon on staff here at St. Vincent. I performed Ms. Tandy's first surgery, earlier in the day."

"How is she?" Rob Sr. asked.

"Well, I don't have the details of the second surgery, but the first one was very successful."

"What was wrong?" Rob asked, walking into the hallway.

"She arrived by helicopter and was unconscious. We ran a head CT and found there to be formidable swelling in the brain."

"Oh, my God," Rob whispered.

"A subdural hematoma, otherwise known as a blood clot, was formed in the brain."

"So, you're saying that everything is okay, in regards to her brain?" Rob Sr. asked.

"The surgery went very well, but I don't want to leave you with false hope. We'll have to wait and see how she is, when she wakes up."

"Do you have any idea what the second surgery was for?" Rob added, still in shock from what he had just heard.

"I believe it was associated with internal bleeding, as my team was very worried about that during the first surgery," Dr. Scaletta said, and she added, "They haven't updated you at all?"

"No, they haven't. Only that she's in recovery, wherever the hell that is," Rob's father said, in a hateful way.

Families of trauma victims were almost all the same. Very nervous, very scared, and very easily defused. The surgeon tried her best to ignore his intended tone, and continued.

"Well, I'll try to find out more information, when I go downstairs."

"Thank you. That would be most helpful," Rob said.

She could tell that the older man still wasn't content.

"I do know it wasn't as severe as the brain trauma, otherwise they would have done the surgeries in a different order."

Alan had stopped, just inside the doorway of the waiting room, listening intently. Ellie was right next to him.

"That's positive," Ellie commented.

Dr. Scaletta glanced at the clock in the nurse's station.

"I'm needed in surgery in just a little while, so I'm afraid I have to be going."

Rob moved past his father, and shook her hand.

"Once again, thank you for everything," he said.

She smiled.

"I'll be sure to send someone up here with an update soon. Good evening."

The neurosurgeon quickly got back into the staff elevator, disappearing from their lives very quickly, leaving them all at a loss for words. Only for a few minutes, though.

"I can't believe it," Rob's father said, disgusted.

"What's the matter? Everything the doctor said was very positive," Rob said.

"That's just it. The doctor. The doctor is a female . . . and a little girl no less. Merely a child."

"She wasn't a child," Rob said.

Alan was standing next to Ellie, and he could feel the tension building inside of her. He moved, getting her to look at him.

"Stay out of it," he whispered, pleading with her, "He's just upset. He probably didn't even know that it sounded bad."

"Oh, I'm sure he is full aware of what he just said," Ellie whispered back, ready to pounce.

"She had to be younger than you!" Rob's father yelled to him.

"Who cares? It sounds like she saved Kara's life, so who really cares?" Rob shot back, getting somewhat angry.

Rob's father waved a hand in the air.

"You've become so weak minded in our years apart. Have I taught you nothing?"

"No, actually. You never taught me a damned thing!" Rob yelled back.

Alan could see that Ellie was going to invite herself into the argument. He firmly took her by the hand, and lead her back into the waiting room.

"What are you doing?" She asked, angrily.

"Saving you from yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Alan stopped, thinking about something for a second.

"You know, on second thought, I'm saving myself from you." Seeing the strange way she was looking at him, he explained, "You fight with him. He fights with you. I get socked in the face."

"Okay, fine," she conceded, as they sat down in the waiting room.

Alan sat directly next to her, making sure that she didn't spring into the action that was going on in the hallway. He breathed a little easier, when the voices began to die down in the hallway.

Rob finally took a few deep breaths, trying to contain his anger. This wasn't the time or place to have this knock down dragged out fight.

"You know what? Think and do whatever you want. I just don't care anymore," he said, surrendering.

He didn't wait for the response, as he turned around and marched back into the small waiting room.

"Alan," he announced, as he got closer. Alan stood up. "Let's go into the big waiting room. I'm tired of being cramped up in here."

"Okay," Alan said, looking at Ellie.

They made their way into the hallway, where Rob Sr. was still standing, and walked past him. Alan kept Ellie to his right, so she couldn't come into contact with the angry man.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting, Rob's father entered the waiting room and sat down, close to the door. No one spoke. Just ten minutes later, a doctor came into the room. There were about a half dozen other people in there, as well, and every eye in the room went directly toward the man standing in the doorway.

"Mr. Harper?" The doctor asked, looking around the room.

A man of about sixty slowly got to his feet. Ellie thought he looked completely exhausted, as she watched two younger people of about thirty stand with him.

"I'm Paul Harper," the man said softly.

The doctor nodded, and gestured for them to come out into the hallway, for privacy. Even with them out of the room, Ellie could still hear them talking. The doctor was giving this family some really bad news, and the older man suddenly needed to sit down. They brought him back into the waiting room and sat him down, next to Rob's father, who quickly got up and made his way farther into the room, to give the man some space.

Rob almost began crying himself, watching this man agonizing over the apparent death of his wife, who had been in a car wreck. Rob noticed that his own father was also looking distressed. He was relieved to see that his father seemed to actually have human compassion. Everyone in the waiting room looked on helplessly, as the man's defense system crumbled down, causing him to cry like a baby. The other two members of his family, one male and one female, huddled around him, crying along with him. People in the waiting room were becoming fidgety, not really wishing to witness the tragic course of events, but no one dared move, as the doctor finally exited the room. After a brief pause, people began to move around again, whispering and talking with each other.

Ellie looked to Rob, who was wiping away some tears, looking emotionally drained.

"Anything I can do for you, Rob?" She whispered in a concerned way.

He couldn't even speak. His voice was just gone, hidden behind the newly formed tears that began to slowly stream down his face again. He just shook his head no, and went back to placing his head in his hands.

Ellie put a caring hand on his back, trying to soothe his sadness, but she knew the only thing that would help him, was to get some good news. As if on cue, another doctor walked into the room.

"Mr. Tandy?" He asked.

Rob's father stood up at once, and strolled over to the man.

"How is she?" He asked quickly.

Rob had gotten up and approached the doctor, too. The Tandy men were escorted into the hallway, as Alan and Ellie waited. A few minutes later, Rob came back into the room.

"She's out of recovery. They're moving her up here, to the ICU. Should only be a little while now."

Ellie stood up.

"That's great news," she said in a relieved way.

"Yes, very good," Alan said, echoing her thoughts.

  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	24. Chapter 24: Inner Demons

  
  


__Chapter 24: Inner Demons

  


After insisting that his friends be able to go with him to the ICU, if only for a few minutes, the four of them had made their way into Kara's room. She was lying in the bed, motionless. It reminded Rob of something out of a Frankenstein horror book. There were numerous tubes and needles coming from her arms, as well as a ventilator tube coming from her mouth. There was a section of her hair missing, where they had performed the brain surgery. In short, Rob was very shocked at the way she looked, but he didn't say much.

Alan and Ellie had stayed a little farther back, closer to the doorway. It didn't take long for the head nurse to show herself.

"Excuse me, I don't want to seem rude here, but the limit is two people at a time. So, some of you will have to leave."

Alan took care of it before it would escalate into any sort of problem.

"Sure," he said to her, then he looked at Rob, "We'll go downstairs. Try to find a hotel or something, okay?"

"Thanks, Alan," Rob said quietly.

Smiling faintly and nodding, Alan left the room, with Ellie behind him. After they got to the elevators, she began to talk.

"She looks pretty bad."

"Yeah. It was a little shocking," he said, as he pushed the button to get the elevator.

The elevator got there quickly, and they stepped inside. He noticed that Ellie was being really quiet.

"You look like you're in deep thought," he observed, as he pushed the button for the lobby.

"I was just thinking that I know exactly how Rob feels right now."

Alan couldn't think of the correlation right away, but then figured it out, just as she continued talking.

"I was somewhat horrified to see you lying in that hospital bed, unconscious. It was very unsettling, to say the least."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," he said, not really remembering much of what had happened after his accident.

He could see tears forming in her eyes. She stopped talking and just hugged him. He held onto her tightly, as the elevator made its way to the first floor. As the doors opened, Ellie let him go and pulled herself together. They walked to the lobby and Alan smiled, as he saw that same helpful woman from before, behind the desk.

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Rob and his father sat on opposite sides of Kara, completely quiet. Finally, Rob Sr. stood up.

"I'm going to go and check on things back home."

Rob nodded, but did little more than that. He watched his father leave the room, walking in his usual professional demeanor. _Always the showman._

Finally having the chance to be alone with his twin, Rob began to have some real heartfelt thoughts. He had been elated to find out that she had made it through the surgeries, but now, seeing her like this, it was tearing him up inside. His flesh, his blood, his counterpart, was lying helpless in a hospital bed, trying desperately to hold onto life. He could do nothing about it. Nothing at all. And to make it worse, it probably really was his fault. Hearing his father accuse him of being at fault, angered him immensely, but the more he thought about it, the more he believed the angry words his father had shouted at him. He brought a hand to his head and noticed that it was shaking. He hadn't even noticed how nervous he was, until that moment. Wiping a tear from his face, he moved his chair closer to Kara, gently grasping her hand.

"Hang in there, sis," he said, almost crying.

Having nothing else to think about at the moment, Rob's mind began to rewind into the past. Suddenly, he could picture himself and Kara, at the age of ten.

  


_ "Daddy, where is Mommy?" The ten-year-old Kara asked._

_ "Mommy went away. We're going to have to be brave and go on without her," Rob Sr. said._

_ Kara began to cry and Rob had grasped her hand, trying to get her to stop. Rob Sr. didn't like people to show their shortcomings, so he yelled at the little girl._

_ "Stop your crying, at once! Be strong and never show Mommy that you're sad about this. She left you. She is the one who should be sad."_

_ Little Kara did her best to stop crying, holding onto her brother's hand tighter and tighter. Rob looked at her, feeling like the man in front of them was some sort of stranger with no feelings whatsoever._

  


As he was looking at the ten-year-old version of his sister, his memory progressed into their young adult years.

  


_"Rob, talk to him. Tell him your side of what happened," Kara pleaded._

_ "I've already tried to do that. He's not interested in what I have to say."_

_ "Well, go try again. He's just not thinking straight."_

_ Rob nodded and went into the study. Their house was very large, with twenty separate rooms, spread out over 6,000 square feet. His father was a very successful entrepreneur, and had earned every cent of what they had, through years of hard work. He had strict family values. Very strict. As a Tandy, you were not supposed to ever stray from these values. Ever. It seemed that Rob had done just that, though, but not intentionally. A close friend of his had been stopped by the police in a routine traffic stop, and cocaine was found in the car. Rob had no idea that there was an illegal substance in the car, but since he was there, he was hauled off to the police station, as well. His father had bailed him out, and the two hadn't talked about it for two days, as his father all but refused to talk to him further._

_ Rob stopped, took a very deep breath, and entered the study._

_ "Dad, I'm really sor ---"_

_ "I don't care what you might be sorry for. So, if you don't mind, I'd like you to get away from me."_

_ "Let me tell you what happ--- "_

_ "You're going to tell me what happened?"_

_ "Yes, if you wou--- "_

_ Rob was interrupted again, but this time with a newspaper in the face._

_ "Look at that. Front page. That is what happened. I can fucking read what happened for myself."_

_ Rob glanced at the paper. The headline read "Tandy Tragedy: Son of Robert Tandy Charged With Felony of Narcotic Possession." He put the paper down on a nearby table._

_ "Please, just let me--- "_

_ "Have I taught you nothing?" His father interrupted again._

_ "Yes, you've taught me a lot of--- "_

_ "A dependant-free home is a good home, that will develop extraordinary people," his father said._

_ Rob could say the statement, word for word, in his own head, as his father spewed it out. It was a phrase his father had been using for years, and despite what his father thought right now, it was a statement that Rob had always listened to._

_ "Yes, I understand that, and I have always--- "_

_ "I want you out of this house," his father said, matter-of-factly._

_ "Dad!" Kara said, from the doorway._

_ The two men looked at her, but said nothing. Rob was speechless as to why his father was so angry, not even wanting to hear his side of things. Rob Sr. was only thinking of the negative publicity that this would surely bring. Hell, the negative headlines had already started, and it had only been two days. He looked at his daughter._

_ "He has to be punished for this think-less act. I cannot have a drug dealer in my home."_

_ "He is NOT a drug dealer!" Kara yelled._

_ Rob stood by, watching the situation getting more and more out of hand. It was clear that Kara was going to defend him to the hilt, but he didn't want to be the cause of any more fighting._

_ "Kara, it's okay," he said to her, as he touched her shoulder, getting her attention. He looked to his father, "I'll leave this afternoon."_

_ "Rob, no," Kara said softly._

_ "Good," his father simply answered, "That is the tactful thing to do at this point. I'm glad you've come to the right decision."_

  


Rob stopped the memory from going further. It was a very painful time for him, and he didn't want to relive any more of it. But all this trying to forget, brought up the second half of the confrontation that drove the final wedge between father and son.__

  


_ It had been six months since Rob had moved out, and he had gone back to the house to ask for money. Not for himself, but for his friend. That same friend that had begun all of this family trouble in the first place. He had asked Rob for help financially, trying to seek a better lawyer. It could be the difference in several years in prison, and Rob wanted to help. This was a good friend from childhood, and Rob had decided that this good friend had merely taken a wrong turn in life. Wanting to help, and actually helping, were two different things, though. He had no money, except for what Kara would sneak to him. He had gotten a job at the local museum, but the pay was barely enough for his own bills. If he was going to help his friend, he would need to ask his father for money. Plain and simple. He arrived at the house, early for the "meeting" with his father. Having to schedule a meeting with his parent, was completely foolish to him, but he went along with it anyway. He kept telling himself that he needed to help his friend, and that's why he was there._

_ He walked into that same dreary study, and found his father sitting at the desk in there, glaring at him._

_ "Hello," Rob said, trying to start out small._

_ "What do you want? Rent money?"_

_ Rob almost turned around, but then thought of the tears that actually rolled down his friend's cheek when he last saw him._

_ "I need some financial help, yes, sir."_

_ "Figures. You finally realized that the real world out there is quite different from the safe haven I had so meticulously built for you and your sister?"_

_ Rob was very happy now, that he didn't mention what he needed the money for. His father thought it was for him, and that was perfectly all right with Rob at this point._

_ "Yes, sir. The world is full of obstacles."_

_ "The answer is no."_

_ "No?" Rob asked, quite shocked._

_ "I'll repeat it, if you would like. No."_

_ "Okay," Rob said softly, not wanting to get into another fight with this asshole._

_ He turned around and began to walk to the door of the study. He looked around as he did so, hating everything about the room. About the man in the room. He really hated how his father treated people. His inner thoughts were interrupted._

_ "I know what you need that money for. And that is why you're not getting it," his father offered._

_ Rob turned to face him._

_ "What do you mean, you know?"_

_ "I have my resources."_

_ Rob got very angry suddenly._

_ "You've been having me followed?" He shouted, angrily._

_ "It was for your own good. And I'm pleased that I had the forethought to do so now."_

_ "You are a real piece of work," Rob growled._

_ "You can leave now."_

_ Rob stood motionless, staring at this man who called himself a father._

_ "I hate you," he said with fury._

_ "That is your problem, now isn't it?"_

_ The only thing he could think of saying, the only thing that he thought would really hurt the man, didn't as much as cause him to blink. Rob tried another approach._

_ "Mom hated you, too. That's why she left you. She didn't leave us. She left you, you pathetic asshole."_

_ Rob slightly smiled in his triumphant attack, as his father looked clearly hurt by the words._

_ "You have no idea what you're rambling on about. You're just grasping at straws."_

_ "Am I?" Rob challenged._

_ "You're an unfit child."_

_ "You weren't the greatest of parents yourself," Rob countered._

_ Rob Sr. became very enraged by that last statement. Rob had struck several emotional chords in a very short time._

_ "I consider myself a great man! I dare you say otherwise! I've worked hard my whole life, to provide for the two of you. I "thought" that I had instilled values, but I can see now that it didn't take. At all."_

_ "Newsflash for you! You are NOT a great man! You are a pompous, over reactive, unemotional businessman. Nothing more. You were never a father to me. Never. I hate you."_

_ Rob turned and left the room, leaving his shocked father in the study alone, staring blankly at the arsenal of words that were just thrown at him. Rob marched down the hallway, ready to break down at any moment. He reached the front door and swiftly walked out of the house, running into Kara, who was coming home._

_ Detecting that her twin was very distraught, she questioned him immediately_

_ "Rob, what is it?"_

_ "Nothing more than usual. Why don't you ask that pathetic excuse for a parent in there, what is wrong."_

_ He began to turn away, but Kara grabbed his arm._

_ "He's got his faults, but he loves us."_

_ Not really sure which one of her words triggered him to cry, Rob hugged his sister tightly. Kara was thrown off guard by the sudden show of emotion. She realized that there must have been a very big confrontation inside, as she could feel Rob shaking._

_ "I love you, Kara," he whispered. "You take care of yourself."_

_ He let her go, and walked toward his car._

_ "Rob, where are you going?"_

_ "I don't know."_

_ "Rob, wait."_

_ He got into his car and drove off, never to step another foot in that house. He would see Kara (and his father) again, of course, several times during the course of the years, but he never went back to that house again._

Rob wiped a few random tears from his eyes, as the final memories of that day disappeared into the back of his mind once again. He had been keeping them locked up deep inside, and fought to place them back where they belonged. He looked at his sister, laying there now in the bed. Squeezing her hand some, he leaned over and kissed her hand. The action released some sort of emotion inside, and he began to cry like a baby, holding his sister's hand close to his heart.

"Take care of yourself now, Kara. I love you," he stuttered through crying.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Alan stood up and walked toward the hospital, stopping briefly to let two cars drive past him, before crossing the street. Ellie watched from inside the rental car, hoping that he would be able to talk Rob into coming with them. When he disappeared inside the automatic doors, she turned her attention toward the radio, to see if she could find the evening weather report. Being unfamiliar with the local stations, she switched to the AM frequency and pressed the scan button. Satisfied with what she heard, she pushed the scan button again, holding the radio to that certain station. The man on the radio announced that the weather report was coming up after the next station break.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Alan made his way upstairs and found Rob, sitting next to his sister, holding her hand.

"How are you holding up?" He said softly, so he wouldn't startle him.

Rob picked his head up and wiped a tear or two away.

"Better, I think. The doctor was just in here."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He said she's coming along well. About as to be expected. They don't think she'll regain consciousness for a little while still, though."

"Well, at least they came in here and told you something," Alan said, looking around, "Where's your father?"

"He went to make a phone call, or something."

Alan nodded, but didn't say anything. It made for an awkward moment. Finally, Rob looked up at him.

"He's going to stay with her tonight. I'm going to stay with her tomorrow."

"Sounds like a good plan, Rob."

"Yeah," Rob said to no one in particular.

Alan noticed he stopped looking at him again, his thoughts already drifting back to his sister in front of him.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the approaching darkness, it looked as if a storm was coming. Just as Ellie had this thought, it began to sprinkle lightly. The station came back from commercial break and they first did traffic, since there was an accident somewhere in the vicinity. As they were about to update the weather, people outside of the hospital began to get kind of loud. She turned the radio up a little bit, and that's when it began to down-pour. The passenger window was still rolled down, from talking with Alan, and she began to roll it up, as the radio personality could be heard saying, "Possible rain showers in effect until 8:30PM."

"Well, no shit," she said to herself, as she continued to roll the window up, "Why in the hell didn't we get automatic windows?"

The window was up, when she glanced toward the hospital. The voices she had heard earlier, had belonged to none other than, Robert Tandy, Sr. She rolled the window down a little bit again, to listen to the argument that was still very much underway, about twenty feet from the entrance.

"Sir. You cannot smoke right here. I'm very sorry that I've upset you, but you're going to have to walk a little farther down."

"Listen, here," he began in a patronizing way, looking down at the security guard's uniform, "Julie. I'm not about to go over there. In the first place, I can smoke wherever the hell I want to. And in the second place, it is now raining . . . Julie."

Ellie watched from the car, getting more and more agitated. This guy really treated women poorly, and she was almost to her breaking point. Had this been a male security guard, things probably would have gone differently.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


After a little coaxing, Alan finally talked Rob into trying to get some well-deserved rest. Alan waited outside of the ICU room, while Rob gave his sister a kiss good-bye on the forehead. Letting her hand go was one of the hardest things he had ever forced himself to do, and it almost made him cry again.

"She's going to be okay," Rob whispered to Alan, as he walked toward him.

"I know she is. She's very lucky."

"She is lucky. She's always been lucky, ever since we were kids."

Alan nodded again. He knew that what his friend needed, was someone to just ramble on to. So, that's what he did. He listened to Rob's varying ways of trying to make himself content with leaving Kara in the hospital.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sir, if you don't go over there right now . . . or extinguish that cigarette . . . I will be forced to---"

"To what?" Rob Sr. practically laughed in the female security guard's face, "To issue me a scary warning? Get the hell away from me and go find some other person to bother."

Ellie, without thinking of the consequences, got out of the car, exposing herself to the pelting rain. She marched across the street and stopped herself, just short of being directly in front of Rob's father. The hospital awning blocked the rain.

"Why don't you give a person a break? One single break. People weren't put on this earth to serve you."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes. Yes, it is. I wasn't sure you knew that, and now I'm quite sure that you didn't know that."

Alan and Rob walked through the automatic doors, right at that precise moment. Instantly, they both heard Ellie's angry voice, over to the right. Alan took a few steps toward his beloved, while Rob stayed behind some, slightly smiling.

"Ellie," Alan simply said in a whisper.

Ellie whirled around quickly, looking into his eyes.

"Don't bother stopping me. It's too late for that."

Alan was about to say something, when Rob Sr. made eye contact with him.

"Why don't you keep your girlfriend quiet and put her in her place. You're such a pathetic man."

Alan didn't answer, only because he was shocked that the man would say something so unbelievably stupid, right in front of Ellie.

"This picture you have of women . . . it's very unhealthy," Ellie stated.

"No, honey. I don't see it that way at all. A woman does not deserve all of these rights."

"So, you're saying . . . that women don't belong in the workplace?" Ellie asked, getting closer to the man.

Alan grabbed her arm, as she took a step toward him.

"That is exactly what I am saying," Rob Sr. said, taking one step closer to her, as well, and throwing his cigarette down on the water-soaked grass.

"Don't verbally attack my friends," Rob commented, from behind Alan.

"You are a piece of work, you know that?" Ellie said to Rob Sr., even more disgusted than just a minute ago.

"If it weren't for people like myself in this world, the world would not be as well off as it is right now," Rob's father said, as if he were the single reason the world turned on a daily basis.

The female security guard, happy that he finally extinguished his cigarette, headed back inside the hospital, away from the crazy people. As she made it past Rob, he apologized to her, for the outbursts.

"Well off? People like you make the world a shitty place to live in, mister," Ellie yelled back.

"Ellie," Alan whispered, trying to reel her in. There was no reeling her in, though, and he all but knew that. He still tried, just the same.

"This world was much better when women, at the very most, could only be maids, nurses, and housewives."

"You are living in the past. You archaic asshole!" Ellie shot back.

Rob's father stood speechless, for a moment. Then, he looked away from her and fixated on his son.

"You need to teach your friends better manners. Or better yet, get all new friends, because it's obvious to me that these two are lowlifes."

Ignoring what the man was saying, Alan grabbed Ellie, who was very much on her way to physically assaulting the idiot in front of her. The very action of Alan pulling her away from the argument, fueled her anger.

"And another thing!" She shouted, struggling with Alan.

Rob Sr. turned to look at her, but nothing further came from Ellie. Alan had placed his hand over her mouth, as he continued to attempt dragging her away. After a few seconds of silence, she finally realized how silly the whole thing must have looked, so she relaxed some. He removed his hand, and was thankful that she was still quiet. He persuaded her to walk toward the car, leaving Rob standing there alone with him.

"I'll see you in the morning," Rob relented.

"Fine," his father said.

Rob watched him go back inside the hospital in a silent rage. It was obvious that his father wanted to say even more to Ellie, but he decided to go inside and out of the storm. Rob shook his head, as he turned and walked toward the car. Alan was already in the driver's seat, but Ellie was standing outside, waiting for Rob.

"Get in, get in," he insisted, "It's raining like mad out here."

"You want the front seat, or back?"

"Back is good with me," Rob answered.

They got inside and slammed their doors at about the exact same time. Alan already had the car started, so he put it in gear and drove out of the parking lot. While on the road, and almost to the nearby hotel, Rob began to chuckle from the backseat.

"What's so funny?" Ellie questioned, in a concerned way.

"You know. What you said out there. To him."

"I'm sorry about that, Rob," Ellie said, sighing in an embarrassing way, "I didn't mean to get all crazy like that. I really do apologize."

"No, there's no need to do that. At all. Really."

Ellie had turned around to look at him by now and he laughed at the puzzled look on her face.

"It's just . . . you said every single thing that I've ever wanted to say to that man. All in one full swoop. Everything."

"Well . . . I . . . " Ellie trailed off, not knowing what to say to that.

"Simply put, Ellie . . . you are my hero," Rob said, smiling.

Ellie smiled at that, as well as Alan, who continued to drive toward the hotel, which was only about a five minute drive from the hospital. The trip was extended slightly, by a quick visit to a drive-thru fast food restaurant, since none of them had thought to eat lately.

Soon after, Alan was leaving the car in idle, as he quickly exited the car and made his way toward the hotel office. It was still raining, so he ran, splashing into a few puddles on the way. Rob and Ellie remained in the car, neither of them saying much. Ellie began to fall into a rhythm of sorts, staring at the windshield wipers moving back and forth, every few seconds. She was thinking about saying something, but then that feeling quickly faded, as Alan opened the door once again. He got inside, his clothes very wet.

"Okay. I got two rooms. 101 and 102. They're adjoining."

Ellie nodded. Rob was bombarded with a sudden question, running through his very tired mind.

"How are you paying for all of these expenses? First the plane, and now this."

"Credit cards are wonderful little useful pieces of plastic," Alan said, as he held the card up for Rob to see from the backseat.

Rob shook his head, "Well, I'm going to pay you back."

"Why start now?" Alan joked, as he drove the car away from the office.

Rob laughed, and Ellie was happy to see some of his tenseness and worrying go away.

"Tomorrow," Rob simply said.

"Huh?" Alan asked.

"Tomorrow, I'll have a better comeback for that sorry dig you just conjured up out of nowhere."

Alan pulled the car into a parking space, right in front of room number 101.

"Home at last," Ellie whispered.

They sorted out the room keys, giving Rob the key for room 102, and then quickly made their way toward the doors. Ellie made a beeline for the bed, allowing herself to fall onto it, slightly bouncing. Alan brought the small suitcase, that he and Ellie were sharing, into the room, sitting it down just inside the door. 

"Thanks for shutting me up, in front of the hospital," she said.

"No worries," he said, smiling, dragging a smile out of her, as well.

He quickly sat down on the other bed and picked up the phone. Ellie was going to ask who he was calling, but only after a few rings, Alan began talking to someone on the other end.

"Hey, Carl. Just called to give you an update."

"How's his sister?" Carl Porter asked.

"She's doing pretty well . . . she's stabilized . . . "

Ellie listened for a moment, and then began to drift off to sleep. She knew she was tired, but she wanted to check on Rob again. Alan's gentle and soft-spoken voice wasn't helping her will to stay awake, though. She soon fell fast asleep, listening to him talk on the phone.

"What guy?" Alan asked, continuing the conversation with Porter.

"I didn't get his name. He was very persuasive, though. He was interested in the summer promotion thing we have going on, apparently."

"Well, why didn't you just sign him up?"

"He asked for you, Ellie, or Rob . . . by name. He wouldn't accept a substitute."

"That's a little bit odd."

"I thought so, too. I'm hoping that he just forgets all about it, and never finds his way back here," Porter said.

"Well, I guess I'll take care of that when the time comes."

"How long will you be gone? Any ideas yet?" Porter asked.

"I think Ellie and I will probably be back in a few days, but Rob will, more than likely, stay quite a bit longer."

"That's too bad, about what happened. But at least the outlook is good for his sister."

"Yeah."

"Oh, shit," Porter sighed.

"What?"

"Damn it. I've got to go, Alan. Seems there's a slight windstorm here, and half of the damn volunteers are already gone for the night. I need to cover up a few things."

"Okay. Good luck, Carl. And try to preserve the teeth found on Horizon 4, about four days ago."

"Gotcha."

"It could be an important find," Alan reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay."

Alan hung the phone up and walked toward the door that adjoined the two rooms, glancing in Ellie's direction as he did so. Smiling at how peaceful she looked, he quietly opened the door into Rob's room. Rob was already fast asleep on the bed closest to the window, snoring loudly. Content with the way his friend had been able to get some rest, Alan made his way back into his own room. He looked toward Ellie, once again. She was sprawled out on the bed closest to the bathroom, not even under the covers. Not wanting to disturb her, he took the top blanket from the other bed and gently placed it over her body, watching her stir ever so slightly. Then, he walked to the other bed and laid down, alone. His eyes were closed, almost before his head hit the pillow.

  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	25. Chapter 25: Awakenings

  
  


__Chapter 25: Awakenings

  


_May 10, 1992 - Sunday_

  


Rob hurried through the hospital entrance, with Ellie right behind him. Again, Alan was in charge of parking, and the long trek, through the parking garage, was beginning to bother his otherwise healthy right leg. He tried not to let it bother him, as he finally made it to the entrance, and then made his way to the fourth floor. Ellie was standing in the hallway, alone, when he arrived.

"Something wrong?" He whispered in a concerned way, as he looked past her and toward Kara's room.

"No. I just wanted to give Rob some space, to talk to his father."

"That's impressive," he said, smiling.

She gently hit him in the chest.

"Don't start," she warned.

"Okay, sorry."

"I could go nuts at any second, you know," she said, smiling.

"Oh, I know all about that."

"What does that mean?"

Alan's smile quickly faded, turning into a blank stare.

"Nothing," he simply stated. Ellie was about to say something not so attractive, when Alan interrupted her, "You know what would be a good thing?"

"You shutting up?"

"Uh, no," he said, laughing.

"So much for wishful thinking. What then?" She joked.

"If your mother would meet up with Rob's father."

Just the mere thought of them being in the same room, made Ellie laugh a little louder than she probably should have. She looked around them, hoping that no one was staring, and then she regained her composure.

"That would be something wonderful to see, wouldn't it?" She was finally able to ask, calmly.

"Your mother is scary, but this guy . . . he's a real screwball."

"I could only imagine what kind of attitude adjustments she would have in store for that guy," she said.

"It's fun to imagine, though, isn't it?" Alan said, smiling.

"Oh yeah. I mean, she wanted to kill you, so I could imagine what she would want to do to someone who was really not fit to be in this world."

Ellie was still laughing, but noticed that Alan wasn't. She looked at him strangely.

"Your mother wanted me dead?" He asked, totally floored.

"Hmm. Well, no, no. Not really."

Alan continued to stare.

"It was a figure of speech, honey," she said, hoping that she could convince him that the lie was true.

Rob exited Kara's room and walked toward his awaiting friends. Ellie sighed with relief as she turned toward him, happy to get out of the conversation that she had cornered herself into.

"How is she?" She asked.

"She's holding her own."

Rob Sr. walked out from the room, causing Ellie to slightly glare at him. He looked completely wiped out, physically and emotionally. She decided to give the fighting a rest, thinking to herself _new day, new attitude._ The outspoken man didn't even look at her, so maybe he was thinking the same thing.

"Where is that damned doctor?" His father questioned to no one in particular.

"I don't know," Rob answered, as he looked around.

"Getting sick on the weekend isn't just an old wise tale, I suppose," Rob Sr. commented, "I'm going to the nurse's station . . . again. I'll be right back."

Rob nodded, and then at his friends.

"You want to see her?" He asked.

"Yes," Ellie answered.

Rob led them into the room, where his sister was still unconscious. Ellie wasn't entirely sure, but she thought that Kara's color was a little bit better. Alan was right behind them, with an arm around Ellie's waist, more for his support than hers. Seeing people in a hospital had always made Alan feel weary, and this was no exception.

"She looks good, Rob," Ellie whispered encouragingly.

"I think so, too," Rob answered with a smile.

Rob's father stepped back into the room.

"The doctor is on this floor. He should be here shortly," he said, somberly. As everyone looked toward him, he nodded to Alan, "Sorry about hitting you yesterday. It was uncalled for."

In one short sentence, Rob Sr. managed to shock all of them, Rob especially.

"Well, uh, that's . . . that's okay. You were upset," Alan said.

"I just wanted to apologize, since it was bothering me for some reason," the primary reason being he was trying to get out of a possible future lawsuit with this man, as he looked like he desperately needed money, "It's not like me to attack a stranger."

As they all stood, staring at one another, the doctor walked into the room. He made his way past them and to the right side of Kara's bed, checking various medical devices. Alan and Ellie quickly made their way out of the room, to give the family some privacy.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Rob stood up and stretched, glancing at the clock, as he did so. It was 3:00PM. His father was resting at the same hotel Rob was staying at, leaving Rob with his friends and sister. Kara's outlook hadn't changed. She was still lying comfortably in the hospital bed, in stable condition, and the doctor just wasn't certain about the time frame at this point.

"Rob, I think you should go downstairs and eat something," Ellie suggested.

Rob looked up at her. He hadn't even thought about food, but now that she had mentioned it, he was very hungry.

"I think that's a good idea," he said. He looked back at Kara, "But I don't want to leave her alone."

Alan stood up.

"I think she'll be fine for a half an hour, or so," he said.

Rob nodded, knowing that his friend was right.

"Okay. Lead the way," he said, glancing at Ellie.

Ellie smiled and headed out of the room, followed closely by Alan. Rob stood up, leaned over, and gently kissed his sister on the cheek.

"Be right back, sis," he whispered. The doctors weren't sure if Kara could hear people talking, but Rob totally believed that she could. He talked to her often.

After looking at her for a second, Rob finally straightened up, and followed Alan.

They went down to the third floor, where the cafeteria was, and Ellie insisted on getting Rob's food. She had talked him into going to find a table, and that's where he was already. The way the hospital was set up, he couldn't see Alan or Ellie because there was a wall in between where you get the food, and where you eat the food.

"Does Rob like vegetables?" Ellie asked, trying to order lunch from the woman waiting impatiently.

"Yeah, I think so."

"What kind?"

"I don't know."

"Some friend you are," she joked.

Alan just stared at her, as he grabbed a chocolate chip cookie. He heard her order Rob the same thing that she had ordered for herself, and then she called him over there. He was in the middle of getting himself some soup. He placed the soup on his tray, and made his way over toward her.

"You want something from here?" She said, gesturing to the woman preparing the meals.

"No, I'm good with soup and a cookie."

"You are such the nutritious type, aren't you?" She said.

Before he could answer, she set all of Rob's food on his tray, causing it to tilt.

"Hey," he complained.

"You don't have anything on that tray, so quit whining," she said.

Alan was thinking of complaining further, but he was interrupted by a tall and pleasant man, who was suddenly standing next to him.

"Alan Grant?" The man asked, in way too cheery of a voice for a hospital.

"Yes?"

The man smiled and looked toward Ellie.

"Ellie Sattler?"

"What do you want?" Ellie said, answering the question with a question.

The man handed a folded piece of paper to both of them. Alan had to balance his food tray, in order to take it.

"Thank you! Good day!" The man said gleefully, and then turned to walk away.

"What the hell was that all about?" Alan wondered aloud.

Ellie had already unfolded the paper, smirking and smiling at the same time, if that were possible.

"It's a subpoena. To appear at the Greg Diamond and Raymond Knox trials."

"When?"

"End of July."

Alan grunted. The idea of having to spend a day or more in a courtroom annoyed him. The thought of having to wear a suit and listen to that violent night, from last year, being rehashed was not appealing to him in the least. His time could be better spent digging.

Ellie felt the same way, but then something else entered her mind.

"Rob . . . I wonder if he got Rob, too," she said.

Before Alan could answer, she hurried him along to the cash register. He paid, and then they found Rob 

sitting at one of the tables . . . holding a folded piece of paper.

"Ah, I see you got one of those wonders of joy, too," Alan said, sighing.

Alan carefully set the tray of food on the table, and sat down across from Rob.

"What is this for?" Rob said, holding it up, "I'm not in any trouble, am I?"

"No," Ellie answered, sitting next to Alan. She placed Rob's food in front of him, like a mother would, "We all just need to testify at a trial for those guys, who beat up Alan last summer."

"I hate courtrooms," Rob said, exhaling heavily.

"Don't worry about it right now. Just eat," Ellie said. Rob nodded and began to eat. Ellie looked at Alan, who was equally depressed about the whole courtroom thing, "You eat, too. You men need your strength. It takes a lot of energy and endurance, to whine the way you do."

Alan smiled at her and obeyed, taking a few sips of his hot soup.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


About a half an hour later, they were back on the fourth floor. The three of them were still talking and laughing about going to court when, to Rob's surprise, they found his father back in Kara's room.

"What are you doing back so fast?" He asked.

"I couldn't sleep. I don't know why I thought I could," his father answered, and then he added, "What's this about court?"

"Oh, that," Rob said, trying to figure out a quick way to get the explanation over with, "Apparently, we're testifying next month for an assault case."

"Who did you assault?"

Rob knew right away, that his explanation didn't sound right. And he also knew that his father would take it the way that he did, but he was still upset that his father thought of him as being violent. He walked farther into the room.

"Why do you always assume that I'm the one at fault?" He asked.

"Because you usually are," Rob Sr. simply stated.

Alan got in between them.

"Look, this isn't the time or place to get into this."

"Why are you always sticking up for him?" Rob Sr. asked Alan.

"I was the one that was assaulted . . . by a couple of people," Alan began to explain.

"Four people," Ellie interrupted.

"Rob showed up just in time, before they probably would have killed me," Alan said, not really answering the question that was presented to him.

"Oh, I see," Rob Sr. said, looking away.

"I'm not always the bad guy," Rob said, looking at the back of his father's head.

"Can't you two just shut up already?" A female voice asked, interrupting them.

Everyone in the room looked toward the bed. Kara was still in the same position, but her eyes were open.

"Kara!" Rob shouted, as he made it to the right side of the hospital bed.

His father rushed to the other side. Kara didn't only have her eyes open. A smile was also prominent on her bruised face.

"I'm so glad to see you awake," Rob Sr. whispered.

Kara looked around the room, focusing on her family. It was only then, that she realized she was in a hospital.

"What happened?" She asked. Her vision was somewhat fuzzy still.

"You were in a car accident," Rob answered.

With that bit of insight, violent images began to invade her mind. She turned her head slightly, and began to tear up some.

"It was rainy. There was a turn. I missed it. There was a tree . . . " she trailed off, and began to sob.

Rob held her free hand, and began to sob with her.

"That's over now. The important thing, is you are going to be all right," Rob Sr. said, taking a more unattached route, trying to steer away from the emotions, about to erupt inside himself.

Kara turned toward him, tears coming down her cheeks. She gently reached her hand to her father's face, being careful of the I.V. that was attached.

"You're not going to give me a 'don't cry' lecture, are you?"

The older man leaning before her began to cry himself. Rob had only seen his father cry once. At his own father's funeral, all those years ago. It was, to say the least, a little shocking to see the man fall apart.

"No," their father managed to say between sobs, "Cry all you want. It's perfectly okay."

The three of them embraced, as close as they could with all of the hospital machinery attached to Kara. Alan held an arm around Ellie's waist, as they stood in the doorway, smiling. The moment was interrupted by a nurse, showing up behind Alan.

"Excuse me, what is going on here? Her pulse has just gone up dramatically," she said, as she pushed her way through the people. She saw that her patient was awake, which made her happy, but the amount of people in the room really upset her, "And . . . at least two of you . . . need to leave right now."

Alan didn't remember seeing this nurse before. She had a different color outfit on, making him think she was possibly the head nurse on duty. She was very direct and kind of snooty, but he took the advice as an order, and decided to vacate. He looked at Ellie, who didn't even seem to hear the nurse.

"Let's give them some privacy," he whispered to her, and then he looked toward Rob, "We're heading to the waiting room."

"Okay, Alan," Rob said, glancing at them.

"Alan?" Kara asked, in a happy voice, trying to sit up a little bit, to see him.

Alan stopped and turned around.

"Yeah, it's me. Glad you see you coming around," he said awkwardly.

"You're just as nice and handsome, as I remember," she said, smiling faintly.

"Kara, don't inflate his ego. It's bad enough already," Rob commented, smiling.

"Out!" The nurse said, in a very direct and intimidating way.

Alan smirked at her, and then looked at Kara, "We'll talk later, I'm sure."

"You can count on that," she said, her voice heavy with fatigue.

Alan smiled, and then followed Ellie out of the room. The nurse continued to monitor the machines, sighing a few times, as she did so.

"Something wrong?" Rob asked.

"No, sir. Some of the stats aren't where I like them to be," she said, in a cold manner.

The rediscovered family stayed close, continuing to embrace for a few more seconds, and then Rob and his father sat down in the chairs, on either side of the bed.

"Are you having any pain?" The nurse asked.

Kara shook her head no. She wasn't exactly sure how she was feeling at the moment, as everything was still a blur. The nurse nodded, and checked off something on the sheet of paper on her clipboard, and continued to ask a long series of questions, placing checks in the appropriate boxes.

"Is the doctor coming back in any time soon?" Rob Sr. asked, in an equally cold manner as the nurse. Rob thought that the two of them could probably go to a Halloween party as dead people.

"I'll inform the doctor that she is awake. He should be here shortly, I would guess."

"Thank you," their father said.

The nurse strolled out of the room, leaving Kara with the two men in her life. They took turns explaining, the best they could, about the surgeries she had undergone. She watched as they both looked at her lovingly, looks of real care and concern on their faces. Every once in awhile, she would notice them giving each other an unpleasant stare, which really got on her nerves.

"Do you think the two of you could get along . . . for once?" Father and son glanced at each other, but said nothing, so Kara continued, "For me? Cause you love me?" She said, briefly smiling.

From Rob's side of the bed, he could see the right side of her face wasn't exactly working properly. When she would smile, it would make for a lopsided grin. He wasn't sure why he hadn't noticed it at first. It was probably because his emotions had experienced an overload. His thoughts were interrupted by his father's voice.

"Okay. I'll call a truce, if it will make you get out of here quicker."

Rob looked on, genuinely surprised.

"I'll go along with that," he said.

"Good," Kara said, relieved, "There's nothing that I would want more, than to see us get along for more than a minute or two."

Rob smiled, and saw that his father did the same. They were far from actually smiling at each other, but it was more of a start than the past ten years or so had been. He watched his sister reach up and touch her head, where the brain surgery had taken place. The surprised look on her face, when she realized part of her hair was gone, angered Rob in a way that he hadn't quite expected. She should have been safe and sound, at home. Not on some long drive on her way to see him. He fought away the feelings of guilt that were creeping up on him, and forced a smile.

"It'll grow back," he said.

"I know that, jerk," Kara said, half smiling again.

Rob laughed. He wasn't expecting to hear her say that in the least. She was laying in that bed, looking pretty awful, but yet, she was trying to smile and joke around. She was in good spirits, so he went along with it.

"I know you know that you think I didn't know that you knew that . . . loser."

"It's not nice to try and confuse someone who just had brain surgery," Kara joked.

"What is the matter with you?" Rob Sr. asked his son, raising an eyebrow in anger.

Rob just looked at him. He thought about how stupid that would have sounded to someone who had no idea what the whole 'jerk/loser' thing was about. He was going to attempt to explain himself, but Kara's laughter interrupted him, which relieved him in a big way.

"Dad, it's just something we've always done. As kids. Relax," she explained. She waited for him to nod, before she continued, "Could you go get me something to drink?"

"You have water right here," her father said.

"I don't want water. I want something with caffeine."

"I don't think you should have caffeine, until after the doctor says it's okay," Rob said.

"You two are no fun," she sighed.

"Why don't you have some water," her father suggested again.

She nodded, so he poured some water into a dixie cup and carefully brought it up to her lips. She took one small sip and made a face.

"It's warm."

"Okay, I'll go get some ice," her father said.

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

Rob and Kara both watched him leave the room. When Kara turned to look at her brother, she could see a few tears forming in his eyes.

"It's okay, Rob," she whispered.

"I hope so," he said, looking at her, "How do you really feel?"

"Not bad. Probably shock, or something."

"Yeah."

"I am getting tired, though."

"You need all the rest you can get," he said, standing up.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Nowhere," he said, laughing, "just stretching my legs."

"How long have I been here?" Kara asked, out of the blue.

"About two days."

"Two days . . . " she said to herself quietly. Just as the words came out of her mouth, the realization that it was possibly an important date came to her. She looked at Rob, and he was already smiling, showing that he had just figured it out, too. "Happy Birthday, Robster," she said.

"Happy Birthday, sis."

Rob walked close to the bed, leaned over and hugged her. Under the circumstances, it was kind of a sad birthday, but the simple fact they were together, all but out-shadowed the almost tragic events that transpired. Kara hugged her brother as tight as she could, and then relaxed, laying back into the bed. As she watched him sit down, she suddenly remembered something she had wanted to ask, from a little earlier. There were a bunch of jumbled up thoughts running through her head, but there was one, in particular, that was standing out in the front of her mind.

"Who was that woman?"

"What woman?"

"The one with Alan."

"Oh," Rob said, "That's Ellie. A friend from the dig site. They came over here with me, when they heard about what had happened."

"How close of a friend?" Kara asked.

"Close to me . . . very, very close to Alan," Rob answered.

Kara looked a little sad.

"Lucky woman," she said to herself out loud.

Rob laughed at her.

"Oh, God. Don't tell me you've had a secret crush on that boring scientist?" Kara gave him a strange look, trying to cover up her uncertain feelings. "You do!" Rob said, laughing even more.

"So what," she said, glaring at him, "He's a nice person. I was just saying that she's lucky to be able to find such a nice person."

Rob wasn't buying it, and barely even heard what she had said anyway.

"What is it? It's got to be that goofy accent, because otherwise, he's just a pure and plainly dull individual," Rob joked. Kara didn't answer, she just looked at him, so he added, "I wish I had a gimmicky accent to lure the ladies."

"Shut up, Rob."

"Drab."

"Shut up."

"Boring."

Kara rolled her eyes again, and then finally smiled. Her brother was definitely the insane one in the family.

  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	26. Chapter 26: People Skills

  
  


Chapter 26: People Skills

  


_July 16, 1992 - Thursday_

  


_Wokal Field/Glasgow International Airport in Glasgow, Montana_

  


Waiting at the airport for about a half an hour, Alan finally saw his cousin come into the tiny airport terminal. He nudged Rob, who had gone along for the ride, and pointed toward Richard.

"Richard!" Rob yelled, as he spotted him in the crowd.

Richard looked around. He spotted Alan and Rob and smiled. Richard's wife, Melissa, was walking next to him and she was seven month's pregnant. They reached Alan, after maneuvering around some people. Melissa hugged Alan.

"It's good to see you, Alan," she said.

"Same here. And wow! Look at you," Alan said.

"Where's my hug?" Rob asked with his arms opened wide.

Melissa smiled and hugged Rob, too, and then she looked at Alan again, rubbing her belly.

"She's due in seven and half weeks."

"She? You cheated and already know it's a she?" Rob interrupted.

Melissa smiled and waved a hand at Rob.

"It's not cheating. It's just a matter of knowing what color to paint the room," she countered, "Plus it helps with names."

"You have a name already?" Rob asked, shocked.

"Yes. Jodie," she answered.

"Very odd. You guys already have the college picked out that 'Jodie' will go to?"

Richard was shaking his head at Rob, when he stepped up and shook hands with his cousin. Alan had gotten a phone call the week before from Richard, and he had wanted to come visit. Melissa loved going to the dig site, so they all planned around her schedule and mood. Her doctor had told her to rest, so the trip was mostly about her relaxing, away from the busy city of Chicago.

"How you doing, Ricky?" Alan said, still shaking his hand.

"Very well, thanks. Still hanging out with this loser of a friend, huh?" He asked, playfully gesturing toward Rob.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Alan said, smiling.

Rob gave Alan a look of disappointment.

"Hey! You're supposed to be defending me, you know," he added, smiling.

"Sorry, I forgot about that part," Alan said.

Rob was about to complain some more, when Melissa interrupted.

"It's great to hear that your sister is doing well," she said.

"Yeah, she's quite a strong-willed person," Alan observed.

"She's staying with us right now, too, so you'll be able to see her," Rob said, smiling.

Melissa smiled at first, but then a sudden look of panic swept over her face. Rob was about to ask what the problem was, when she announced what was wrong to the three men.

"I need to find a restroom . . . right now."

"Is there something wrong?" Richard asked, very attentive to his wife's needs.

"No, no. I just need to go . . . right now," she said, repeating the urgency in her voice.

Alan and Richard quickly guided her through the crowd. Richard watched as she disappeared into the restroom.

"Rob and I will go get your luggage," Alan said, "And then we'll head over to the dig site and go out for lunch."

"Sounds good," Richard said.

"Maybe we can play some cards, like the old days," Rob said.

Alan glanced at Rob, as he laughed about the "old days". Those particular days were only about five or six years ago, but Rob made it sound like it was much longer than that. He turned Rob around toward the small baggage claim area.

"He just got here, Rob. Already, you want him to gamble his money away to you?"

"Sure. It would be my pleasure to take some money from the Grant family."

Richard laughed.

"You're on, Mr. Tandy. Tonight, there won't be enough money in the world for you to keep yourself alive, mate."

Rob was about to retaliate against that playful threat, when Alan pushed him toward the baggage area. Richard watched them walk away, talking and laughing the whole way to their destination.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


After the twenty minute car trip to the dig site, Alan pulled in quickly, rushed out and opened the passenger door on his side. He helped Melissa out and showed her to the bathroom in the trailer. When she was in there, Richard laughed.

"It's not very smart to make a pregnant woman wait to use the bathroom. You're very lucky there wasn't an accident."

Alan smiled and Rob shrugged.

"Oh, well. It's not his car anyway," Rob commented.

Richard laughed.

"Whose car is it?"

"My Paleobotantist. Ellie Sattler," Alan answered, shaking his head at Rob.

"She trusts you enough to let you use her car whenever you want?" Richard asked curiously.

"Well, we live together, so I guess she must trust me to a certain extent," Alan said.

"It's a shame really. She doesn't know him at all. If she did, she would have high-tailed it out of here months ago," Rob added.

Richard nodded at Alan, doing his best to ignore Rob. The way Alan had just admitted to living with a woman so easily, showing that he was going on with his life after Kathryn, made Richard very anxious to meet the woman.

"Oh, okay. Well, where is this Ellie Sattler?"

"Hopefully, she's gotten herself very far away from here," Rob said aloud to himself.

After giving Rob one of his "shut up" looks, Alan answered Richard.

"She's out in the field," he said, as he looked at his watch, "She was going to meet us at 2:00pm. We just got here a little early."

The trailer door opened and Melissa carefully made her way down the few stairs and came back to where the men were.

"We did make very good time," Richard commented.

Alan nodded and was about to reply, when he saw that Ellie was making her way toward them. Richard noticed the broad smile that had developed on his cousin's face and he followed his gaze.

"So," he began to say, "That must be Ellie."

Ellie made her way to them. She stopped in front of Alan and gave him a quick kiss. Alan turned toward Richard.

"Ellie, this is my cousin, Richard and his wife, Melissa."

"Please, call me Missy. Everyone else does," Melissa said.

Ellie quickly shook hands with the couple.

"I apologize for not coming to the airport," she said.

"Oh, think nothing of it," Richard said.

Ellie nodded and then made a big deal over Melissa's large belly. They laughed about something that Alan didn't quite hear, and then the ladies began to walk away from the men. Alan watched as the two women looked as if they had known each other for years.

"They just met and already they're best friends. Women are strange that way," Richard said, echoing his thoughts. And then he added, "It looks as though you've finally begun to get on with your life."

"Yes. I think I have. She really is wonderful. I couldn't ask for anything more," Alan said, glancing toward Ellie.

Richard smiled. And, for once, Rob didn't say a word.

"So, where's your sister, Robert? I'd love to meet the good looking half of the set of twins," Richard teased.

"She's around her somewhere. I'll go find her."

Rob turned and left Alan and Richard to talk. Richard had visited the various dig sites, on several occasions, but he hadn't really noticed the large amounts of people before.

"Looks like a lot of people have taken an interest in dinos . . . all at the same time," he observed.

Alan cringed.

"You can blame Rob . . . and Ellie, for that," he said, and then he said a little more softly, "Rob put an ad in the paper, and so now we have a zillion amateurs wondering around, basically stepping on things, and getting on my nerves."

Just as the sentence left his mouth, a man in his mid twenties, tripped over a power cord on the ground and toppled face first into the dirt. Alan rolled his eyes and sighed, but still ran over to assist the man.

"You okay?"

The man got up quickly, brushing the dirt from his pants and shirt.

"Absolutely. I just wasn't watching where I was going."

"Maybe you should try that," Alan said.

The man nodded and walked off toward his vehicle. Alan stood there, watching him, as he almost fell again, tripping over a protrusion in the ground.

"See what I mean?" Alan sighed.

"I guess I do," Richard said.

"Found her!" Rob announced.

Richard looked toward Rob and saw a shorter woman, with Rob's same color hair, walking next to him. The facial features, and even they way they both walked, told him they were definitely related.

"You must be Kara," Richard said. 

Kara nodded shyly and smiled. Richard had a twinge of that Australian accent, just like Alan, and she immediately thought of the load of bull Rob had tried to tell her in the hospital. She was sporting a short haircut and, if you didn't know she had surgery only two months ago, it wouldn't be readily obvious. Rob had gone to check on her and found that she had just woke up, so he suggested that she go outside, for fresh air and to meet some of Alan's family.

After a quick handshake, Richard continued, "Pleased to meet you," he said, smiling.

"Likewise," Kara said.

"Now we're one big happy family," Rob added.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Richard stood off to the side, as Alan was explaining digging fundamentals to the tourists under the late afternoon sky. Melissa and Kara were sitting in some folding chairs, right next to him.

"Typically, when you're out prospecting for new fossils, you look for anything that might stand out," Alan said, trying not to talk over the amateur's heads, but also trying not to bore the actual students, "Color and texture are two very big factors."

Everyone was staring at him, with most people nodding, or showing some other signs of understanding, so he went on.

"Usually, finds that are significant include skull elements, like a jaw or a piece of a cranium, etc. Often enough, though, you'll just find scrap . . . like tiny pieces of ribs or other various things."

"Most of the time, we drink beer," Rob joked.

This got a laugh out of people. The laughter allowed Alan an easy transition into the next phase of the three-phase plan, he had constructed for these people.

"Now I want to move on, to how we identify a fossil. Basically identifying it comes down to giving it your best shot . . . an educated guess. Sometimes it's a given, but other times it's not until you remove the fossil, clean it in the lab, analyze the anatomy, etc, that you can really see what you have."

"So, you can't tell right away if something belongs to, let's say, the T-Rex?" A man in his mid-forties asked.

"Sometimes it's very hard to identify a fossil. Let's say you find something that looks a T. rex tooth . . . it could be a T. rex, but then again it could be a new species of tyrannosaurid."

The man nodded. Alan wasn't sure if he understood, but the man looked intelligent, so he moved on.

"Okay. Onto extraction. I'd like to take a little trek out in the field, to show you the different phases of extraction. Sometimes, it can take years to unearth something completely."

Alan began to walk out toward an area that had been prepared beforehand, mostly by Ellie and Carl Porter. There were three finds, all in different phases of extraction, so they would make for perfect examples. He turned and noticed that adults, and kids alike, were coming.

"Uh, excuse me," he said, clearing his throat, "since the area we're going into is very delicate and important, I'm going to ask that anyone under the age of eighteen, stay behind for now. My apologies."

One of the tourists told his little eight year old boy to stay put, and others were doing the same. To Alan's happiness, no one looked really upset by the request. No one, but Ellie, who was sort of glaring at him from afar. He tried not to make additional direct eye contact with her, as he turned and headed out toward the field, putting his hat on his head.

Rob was just finishing a small conversation with Richard, when he noticed his sister walking with the rest of the group. It had only been about two months since her near death experience, and he had made it his duty to keep an eye on her.

"Kara, it's kind of a long walk. Are you sure you're up to it?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I've done nothing but sleep for about half the day, so I feel pretty strong."

"Well, if you feel tired at all, just ask someone to radio me and I'll drive over there to get you."

"Why aren't you going?"

"I told Richard that I'd keep Melissa company, while he goes. He wants to learn about dinosaurs or something," Rob answered.

"How sweet," she said. Her brother was so thoughtful at times.

"Plus I'm hungry and Porter is cooking," Rob added.

"Of course," Kara said, laughing and rolling her eyes.

Richard kissed Melissa on the cheek, and then caught up to the rest of the group. Kara was right beside him. As a whole, the group was pretty quiet, with just a few people whispering back and forth. Like most of the people, Kara was taking in the magnificent view, all around them. It was a very peaceful and beautiful place.

After about a twenty minute walk, they made it to the first extraction point that Alan wanted everyone to see. He waited for everyone to get situated around the area, and then he began.

"Okay, this particular fossil here, is of a megaflora type, and ---"

"What is that?" Someone from near the back asked.

Ellie thought that he may have looked a little stressed out suddenly. He wasn't really a people person, and she was feeling guilty for basically forcing him into the current situation. She stepped up next to him and answered the question.

"The plant fossils found here are megaflora, consisting of mostly angiosperms, or flowering plants," she began, as she placed a hand on his shoulder briefly. He glanced at her and flashed her a coy smile. She continued, "Flowering plants made their presence known in the Cretaceous Period, as best exemplified by the diversity at Hell Creek. Over half of the findings being made here are of this particular type of fossil."

Quite a few people nodded in understanding. Ellie basically took over the tour at that point. Alan wasn't disappointed in the least, since she had a lot more patience than he did. He gestured to her back pack, telling her he would carry it for her if she was going to take charge. She smiled and gave it to him, as she continued with the explanation of the fossil before them.

"This fossil is still in its infancy stage, meaning that it was very recently discovered. The first step taken to preserve this fossil is to use a type of glue to keep it intact." As she thought about the glue, memories of her first week at the dig site, last year, suddenly popped into her mind. After a brief smile, with a focus on a few fond memories in the teepee with Alan, and then later in the research trailer, Ellie continued her explanation, "After the glue secures the fossil, it can be extracted and analyzed, without damaging it easily."

She looked around and saw that the majority of people were looking like they understood. That's what is was all about really, people understanding what you were trying to say.

"Okay. Moving on. The next show and tell area is just a little farther ahead of us. It's a dinosaur fossil, which is at about its half-way point, in terms of extraction."

Everyone began to follow Ellie, making Alan very happy. He lagged behind, smiling and tipping his hat at the people walking past him. The last two people to walk past him were Richard and Kara.

"Looks like she took over your job," Richard observed.

Ellie could still be heard, talking about preserving the fossils.

"In the next area ahead, you'll see that the exposed surfaces of the fossil have been wrapped in paper towels. This is for protection. In some cases, a trench is started around the area because the rock needs to be removed from around the fossil," she explained.

"I'd say he's probably happy about that," Kara said.

"You are absolutely right," Alan said, nodding and pointing at Kara, "She invited these people here, so she can parade them around."

Ellie continued with her explanation, but she was getting farther away from Alan, and he found it hard to hear every word now.

". . . you wrap that eventually in a plaster cast, that way you have several layers of protection. The plaster cast, the cotton or paper towels, etc, and the rock itself," she was saying.

"I'd like to see you say that to her, mate," Richard said, laughing.

"I bet you would," Alan said, smiling at his cousin, "You'd love to see her beat the hell out of me, wouldn't you?" He joked.

"It would be quite entertaining," Richard admitted.

Alan shook his head, thought about just how mad Ellie would be if she had heard what he had said, and then swayed the subject in another direction.

"Let's catch up to them, before she gets mad at all of us," he suggested, throwing Ellie's back pack over his shoulder.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"And so, to recap," Ellie began, "To remove a fossil, you secure, protect, wrap, remove, wrap underneath, haul away, open up, work on it, analyze, submit analysis and fossil, wait, get commended or refuted, and carry on."

People smiled at the way she summed up everything. Alan had been following along with the others, making a few comments along the way, but for the most part he was quiet. He was quite proud of the knowledge displayed. Of course, he knew she was fully capable of explaining everything, but it was just nice to sit back and let someone else do the talking for once. When she was finished, he walked up next to her.

"And somewhere along the lines you get paid, I think," he added.

This received some laughter. Still smiling himself, Alan happened to look up toward the side of a nearby cliff. Something there caught his eye, so he excused himself and began to walk in that direction. Richard and Kara followed him, leaving Ellie with the tourists and students.

"Okay, then. That's probably about all for today," she said, watching where Alan was going, "So, we'll head back to base camp. Does everyone remember how to get back?" She asked. Quite a few people in the group nodded. "When you get back there, Dr. Porter can answer any additional questions you may have. And I believe dinner will be served soon, as well."

The group of people erupted into small talk, as they began to turn around and walk back the way they had come. A few of the more curious volunteers and students turned, checking to see where the doctors were going, but then continued on their journey back to camp.

Ellie caught up to the others.

"Alan, what is it?"

He was still walking toward the cliff, which didn't seem to be getting any closer. He quickened his pace.

"I think I glanced something over in one of the cliffs over here," he said, still staring toward his destination. If he took his eyes away from it, he was afraid of losing it.

"Like what?" Richard asked.

"A possible fossil," he answered.

"Really?" Ellie asked.

Alan nodded, as he continued. The others followed. Several minutes later, they were standing close to the cliff in question, all of them staring upward.

"I don't see anything," Ellie said.

"I probably wouldn't see anything, even if there was something to see," Kara commented, laughing at herself.

Alan, still looking upward, smiled at Kara.

"I don't see anything either. Must have been a shadow or something," he finally said.

"What's that?" Richard asked, pointing to their right.

Alan looked in that direction and noticed a cave about five hundred yards away, barely noticeable in the jagged rock formations.

"Let's go check it out," he suggested, already walking in that direction.

"You've never seen it before?" Ellie asked, following him.

"No, I don't recall ever seeing it before. This area is largely unexplored, so I can believe we could have missed this," Alan said.

Kara was lagging behind, as the others hurried toward the cave. She really wasn't a fan of caves, or any other types of enclosed spaces. She turned around, to check on the progress of the volunteers and students. They were very far away now, almost completely out of view. It didn't look like she would be able to catch up to them. She thought about heading in that direction anyway, but she didn't know the area well enough to begin walking back alone. She sighed, as she continued to follow Alan and the others.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Rob was sitting outside, eating a cheeseburger that Porter had prepared. Melissa was next to him, sitting on a chair that Rob had padded with an overabundant amount of pillows. She had her feet up on another chair, enjoying a cheeseburger, as well. As they were making small talk, with Rob making her laugh almost continuously, Rob's radio chirped.

"Rob. It's Ellie. You there?"

Rob put his food down, and grabbed the radio latched on his belt. After Alan's unfortunate accident last summer, the good doctor had insisted that everyone in the field wear a radio. Rob looked at Melissa for a second, as he brought the radio to his face.

"Always in the middle of dinner with her," he joked, and then he pushed the talk button, "Yeah, I'm here. Where else would I be, beautiful?"

"Funny, Rob," Ellie said through static, "I wanted to let you know that we've found a cave, not too far away from the display area from this afternoon. So, we're checking it out."

"Who are 'we'?" Rob asked.

"Me, Alan, Richard, and Kara."

"Kara went into a cave?"

"None of us have gone into the cave yet. We're still--- " Ellie cut her own sentence short, "Okay, I take that back," she said, laughing through the static, "Alan is in the cave now."

"Well, be careful," Rob said, "And tell Alan to get back here soon, before all the tourists eat the grub and exhaust the beer supply."

"Speaking of tourists. Have they found their way back yet?"

Rob stood up and looked in the direction they would be coming from. He could see something faintly in the distance, so he grabbed his small binoculars that he kept in his back pocket. With extra eye support, he could make out some of the people.

"Yep. They're not here yet, but I can plainly see them."

"Oh, good. I was worried," Ellie said, and then she added, "I'm going to check out the cave now, so I'll talk to ya in a few."

"Okay. Be careful," Rob repeated.

"Well do."

The radio fell silent in Rob's hand.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie walked to the cave entrance and looked inside. It was very dark.

"Alan?" She said softly.

"Yeah, over here," he answered back, just as softly.

She walked into the darkness, being as careful as possible. A light finally turned on, so she was able to see him. He had the flashlight from her back pack in his hand, kneeling down, looking at something of interest on the cave floor.

"Find something?" She asked. As she approached him, she put her hand on his shoulder and leaned over him.

"Maybe. We'll have to come back here with the proper lighting," he said, "But I think this could be something significant. At first glance here, it looks like partial remains of some infant dinosaurs."

"I can radio Rob, see if he'll bring some more light," she suggested.

"Good idea."

Ellie pulled her radio out and hit the talk button, saying Rob's name. There was no answer. She tried again, but got nothing but an unusual humming noise.

"I'll go outside where the reception is better," she said.

Alan nodded, but never took his eyes off the cave floor. Ellie walked outside, past Richard and Kara, and tried to radio Rob again. Still nothing. Richard could see she was getting angry. He walked up to her, just as she was prepared to start hitting the radio against her hand.

"Hold on, hold on. Let me see it," he suggested.

She smiled and handed it to him. Kara was still standing near the cave entrance, waiting for Alan to come back out. It made her nervous knowing that he was in there alone. She took one more step and edged her head inside the cave.

"Alan?"

She could hear him talking suddenly, but she couldn't make out anything he was saying. She took one more step closer, repeating his name a few times.

Richard got the radio working . . . sort of. They decided that the batteries were going dead. Ellie was about to go back inside the cave to get Alan's radio, when she heard a very chilling sound coming from above them.

Alan was still looking at the cave floor, when he heard a faint rumbling. He had heard Kara talking to him, so he figured she was somewhere close behind him.

"You hear that?" He asked her.

Kara was only slightly in the cave. She could see Alan now, and saw that he was asking her a question. She didn't hear it, so she took a few cautious steps into the cave.

"What?"

"That noise . . . like something echoing . . . " he said, trailing off.

Kara continued to walk toward him, forgetting her fear for a few seconds, concentrating on what he was saying. Making a mental note about where her escape route was located, she was about to ask him to repeat himself for the second time, when she saw him stand up with a sense of urgency. An uneasy feeling steadily began to grow inside of her, as she noticed that he was walking rather quickly toward her.

"We need to get out of here," he said calmly.

She turned around as fast as she could, and began to walk faster toward the cave entrance, which seemed a lot farther away than she had previously envisioned. The next sequence of events happened too quickly, for her to comprehend right away.

There were more signs of a distant rumbling sound. Even before the sounds stopped, the floor of the cave began to tremble under Kara's feet. She had already been running, but she agonized over the fact that she seemed to be moving in extreme slow motion. The situation began to feel more hopeless, as the cave walls began to crumble all around them, as the incredible sound of rocks falling from somewhere above, echoed through the cave.

She felt Alan's hand on her shoulder, and then she felt his grip tighten, as he pulled her backwards. She wanted to yell at him for altering her forward momentum, but in that same second, hundreds of rocks fell in front of her, exactly where she would have been, had he not pulled her away. The two of them fell to the ground, with Alan making sure Kara landed safely. She felt like screaming in panic, but nothing would come out, as she felt Alan's arms reaching around her, attempting to shield her from the rocks, falling at a high rate of speed and quantity. Terror replaced all other emotions for her, as the cave entrance quickly disappeared, leaving them in darkness.

Ellie took several quick steps, away from the cave, as the falling rocks pummeled the ground, all around the entrance and beyond. There had been a landslide, somewhere high above, and the various sized rocks had finally made their way to the bottom, with the help of gravity.

"Alan!" She yelled, knowing her voice would be drowned out by the landslide, "Alan!" She screamed again, shielding her head.

Richard dropped the radio and grabbed her, forcing her to move even farther away.

© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	27. Chapter 27: Trapped

  


Chapter 27: Trapped

  


_July 16, 1992 - Thursday_

  


Wincing, as one of the larger rocks bounced off his back, Alan tried to stay in one place, holding onto Kara. It seemed like the sound of the world falling would never stop, as he kept Kara's head away from the falling debris. He could feel her shaking, but could do nothing more to comfort her at that point. Again, he winced, as a rock hit the side of his head, knocking his hat off. He didn't dare let go of Kara, though. Instead, he would just try to wait it out, with the ever present worrying about rogue rubble hurling at him from beyond the darkness above him.

Finally, the sound began to dissipate. Alan breathed a sigh of relief, as he slowly lifted up his head. There was nothing but darkness, accompanied by the sound of dirt and other smaller rocks, hitting the cave walls and floor. He looked back down, where he was still holding onto Kara.

"You okay?" He whispered. She didn't answer. All he could hear was her faint crying. "Kara?"

He could hear her whispering something over and over now, but couldn't quite make it out at first. She was still shaking very badly, too. He was about to ask her to speak a little louder, when she lifted her head slightly, unburying her head from her hands.

". . . trapped . . . we're trapped. I can't breathe . . . we're trapped . . ."

"Kara," he said slowly and calmly, "Are you hurt?"

She kept repeating the same phrases over and over again, getting increasingly louder, with every added word. She was beginning to hyperventilate now, and Alan had no idea of what to do, besides to try and talk calmly to her. He kept whispering to her that everything was going to be okay. Her repeated rambling was causing him to feel somewhat claustrophobic, as well now, as he tried, unsuccessfully, to focus in the darkness. He suddenly remembered the outside world for a second. Ellie was outside the cave and she was probably worried sick over what had just happened. He reached down, looking for the radio that should have been on his belt. It was gone. It must have fallen away during the landslide somehow. His thoughts drifted back to Kara, as she finally stopped rambling and took a deep breath in the darkness, and then exhaled very slowly, letting all of the air out of her lungs. It didn't feel like she was breathing anymore, so he got a little scared, but then he heard her gradually breathe in some air, slowly allowing her lungs to fill with air, once more.

"I can't see anything. It's too dark," she said finally, breathing almost normally.

"It's okay. The flashlight should be very close."

"We need light," she said, and then she began to repeat her anxieties about being trapped.

He let Kara go and began to move cautiously in the direction he thought the flashlight was in, hoping that it didn't get crushed. He was only a few inches away from her, when she began to panic again.

"Alan! Don't leave me here alone!" She yelled.

"I'm not. I'm not. I'm right here," he said, coming back to her, barely getting the chance to feel around on the cave floor.

She blindly reached out, and when she touched his shirt, she grabbed it and pulled him toward her very forcefully. He almost wanted to laugh at her urgency, at her so desperately wanting light, but how she wouldn't allow him to go find the flashlight. He knew that wouldn't help at all, though, so he held onto her, letting her cry and shake in his arms.

"Kara, are you hurt?" He repeated.

"I don't think so," she said softly.

"Okay, good," he whispered, "I really need to find that flashlight. We need to check if there's a way out, okay?"

Kara didn't answer right away, but he did notice that she seemed to be calming down some, at least with the crying. The shaking, he thought, might have been getting worse, though.

"I'm going to let you go now, okay?"

"No," she said, barely audible.

"Kara, everything is going to be all right. I need to let you go for a minute."

Her grip lessened some. She was beginning to listen to him, which made him nod in the darkness. He had no idea that she was so claustrophobic. This was going to be a long couple of hours. Slowly, he moved away from her, until she wasn't holding him at all anymore.

"I'll keep talking to you, so you know I'm here, okay?"

Kara was silent.

"Okay, Kara?"

"Okay," she finally said softly. He could hear the tremble in her voice.

Alan was crawling around on the cave floor, searching for the elusive flashlight, and trying to think of something to talk to Kara about. It had to be something unrelated to what was going on, but his mind was blank. After a few more seconds, he finally thought of something.

"So, uh, what do you do for a living anyway? I don't remember ever knowing," he said, hoping this would work.

"I'm a computer programmer," she answered.

Alan rolled his eyes in the darkness, as he continued to look for the flashlight. Computers. He should have figured that, since Rob was so into computers, as well.

"How long did you have to go to school for that?" He asked, trying to keep the conversation going, as he continued to blindly search the cave floor with his hands.

"Four years of college, and then I got an internship at a local computer company," she said, with a lot less tremble in her voice now.

"Well, that's gr---" Alan began to say, and then, "Hey, I found Ellie's back pack," he said in a cheerful tone.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie was still shouting Alan's name, as the rubble finally ceased falling down. When it was all said and done, the cave entrance was completely gone, leaving Ellie with an eerie feeling. Richard was still holding her arm, making sure that she didn't do something crazy. When he thought it was safe, he let her go. She ran toward the entrance that used to be there, moments before. There was nothing but a shield of rocks standing in the landslide's wake, possibly thousands of rocks.

"Alan? Alan?" She shouted, hoping that he would hear her.

There was no answer. Richard joined in. The two of them yelled Alan and Kara's names continuously, for several minutes, before Richard finally put his hand on her shoulder. They stood very close to where the entrance was, listening intently. No sound at all.

"There's too much rubble for them to hear us, Ellie," he said in a solemn manner.

Ellie was still having a hard time comprehending what just had occurred. One second, she was talking to Alan, and the next, he was gone. She hoped that he wasn't hurt, and that he and Kara were together in there, and not separated by enormous amounts of debris.

"Should we split up? One of us go back for help, and one of us stay here?" Ellie asked.

"Splitting up is a good idea."

"I should run back to base camp, since I know where it is," Ellie suggested.

"Okay. I'll stay here, and try to clear away some of these smaller rocks," Richard said.

Ellie nodded, and began to head the other way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kara was sitting on the floor of the cave, in the darkness, listening to Alan rummage through Ellie's back pack. She was beginning to feel stressed out again, but she continued with some breathing exercises.

"Alan?" She asked quietly, looking in the direction, where she could hear him moving around.

"Yeah?"

"Find anything useful?"

"Not yet. Still looking for the flashlight. It looks like it might have gotten crushed."

Kara didn't take that news well. She needed to be able to see right now. The darkness was getting to her, even though her eyes were somewhat adjusting. She needed light, right now. Her breathing was become irregular again, and she felt like she was losing her grip on reality, again.

"I can't breathe," she said softly, as she began to cry a little.

Alan, with Ellie's back pack in tow, began to crawl back toward her, when his left hand brushed over the flashlight. He turned it on, but it didn't work. He frowned, and then hit it against his hand several times, making it illuminate finally.

The room dimly lit up, exposing the mess they were in. Alan pointed the flashlight toward the entrance, frowning again, as he saw the amount of rocks in the way. He rested the flashlight on Kara, who was sitting close to the entrance, crying and breathing heavily. She squinted at him, trying to block the direct light going into her eyes.

"Sorry about that," he said, pointing the flashlight to the ground and crawling the rest of the way to her.

Having light made Kara feel instantly better. Her breathing became steady again, as she wiped some tears from her eyes.

"Light," was all she managed to say, but Alan could hear the relief in her voice.

He smiled at her, causing her to smile, as well.

"I'm going to look for the radio that had been attached to my belt. I lost it somehow."

"Good idea."

He looked around the floor with the flashlight, trying to locate the radio.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard had the radio, spinning the batteries around in their cradle, trying to get a spark of a connection. He secured the back of it, and turned it on. To his surprise, there was static.

"Ellie, I've got something here!"

Ellie was still near the entrance, physically removing the smaller rocks. She wasn't ready to leave the scene yet, so Richard had begun the trek back to base camp, to find Rob. When she heard the good news, she ran toward Richard.

Richard didn't waste time. He immediately contacted Rob.

"Rob. It's Richard. Over."

Ellie caught up to him by now, and stood next to him, trying to catch her breath.

"What's on your mind, Richard?" Rob's voice asked.

Richard looked at Ellie.

"You know the locations here, so I'll let you do the talking. He handed the radio to her.

"Rob. There's been a landslide here. Near West Hill, Horizon 3B."

"Oh my God," Rob said through the static, "Everyone okay?"

"We don't know, Rob. You need to bring some of the excavation equipment over here. Now. Alan and Kara were in a cave when the landslide started. We can't get a hold of them. And we need more radios."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Rob said, matter-of-factly.

The radio died, causing Ellie to swear. She hit it several times and one time, it made a few squelching noises, but then died again.

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rob was running around like a loose cannon, shouting at people and barking orders. The intense look on his face was enough, so that no one questioned him.

"Where's the crawler?" He asked a nearby experienced volunteer.

flatbed crane

jackhammer

"Dr. Porter had taken it in for repairs. He said it should be ready tomorrow," he answered.

Rob swore to himself. The crawler was one very big tractor, and it had been with the dig site team since he could remember. It was old, so it would break a lot. The timing was horribly ironic. He looked back toward the man.

"Do you know where Dr. Porter is right now?"

"No, sir."

"Find him," Rob demanded, and then when he realized that he wasn't being very nice, he added, "please."

The man nodded and ran off. Melissa was just returning from inside the trailer. One look at Rob told her something was wrong. Before she had gone inside, he was smiling and happy, making her laugh. Now, he was yelling orders at people and looked very worried and nervous.

"Rob, what is it?"

He looked at her, took a breath, and explained everything he knew so far.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


After hitting the radio several times, Ellie threw it to the ground in a rage. She began to cry, making her even more angry with herself. She joined Richard in removing rocks. He could hear her quietly sobbing.

"They're okay."

"I know that's what I have to think. I almost lost him once already, Richard. I just want him safe and standing in front of me," Ellie said, wiping tears away, "And Kara . . . she's been through quite enough already."

"We'll get to them," Richard said. He looked down where Ellie had thrown the radio, "Let's try the radio again."

He picked it up. As soon as he picked it up, it came to life with static. Ellie had been trying to move a heavier rock, and was about to break down again with the hopelessness of the situation, until she heard the static. With renewed assurance, she approached Richard, who had already started to use it.

"Alan? Alan can you hear me?"

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Still looking around for the radio, Alan suddenly heard a faint voice coming from it. Kara heard it, too, which revitalized her will to stay strong. Alan followed the sound of the voice closely with the flashlight, until he happened upon the correct area. There were rocks and dirt scattered in the area, so he began to rummage through it. Kara was about to make herself get up to help him, when he found it. He held it up and pressed the button.

"Yeah, we're here," he announced cheerfully.

There was a silence for a second and then Alan heard Ellie's voice.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. Kara is with me," he said, glancing toward her, "We're okay."

"Thank God," Ellie said.

Alan thought he could hear signs of her crying through the static. He moved away from Kara and turned around.

"Calm down, Ellie. Stay calm. You need to get us out of here."

"Rob is on his way with some equipment," Ellie said.

"That's a good start."

"How's the air in there?" Richard asked through the static.

Alan smiled, as he briefly pictured Ellie and his cousin fighting over the radio.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


"It's not so bad. It's really dark, but we have a flas---"

The radio had gone dead in Richard's hand again.

"Damn it!" Ellie shouted.

"Ellie, he told you to calm down, remember?"

"Yeah, well, I don't really do everything he tells me to do," she said, in an angry tone. Then, she did manage to calm down, "Sorry, Richard."

Richard nodded and hugged her briefly.

"I'm worried, too, but it sounds like he and Kara are fine."

"Yeah."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Rob had loaded his truck with various types of digging equipment, and was ready to go. He quickly got into the truck and began to drive. There were a few more cars following behind them, filled with students, volunteers, and tourists. As they were speeding toward the location, Rob was trying to get a hold of someone over there.

"Ellie? Richard?"

No answer.

"Kara? Alan? Anyone read me?"

No answer.

He tossed the radio on his dashboard and continued to drive. Ten seconds later, Alan's voice came on the radio.

"Rob?"

The unexpected voice caused him to swerve the truck. He reached for the radio with a smile on his face.

"Are you and Kara okay?"

"Yeah."

Rob was instantly relieved, just by that one word.

"Tell me you're not trapped in a cave with my sister."

He heard Alan laugh, before he answered.

"Okay, I won't tell you. I'll let her tell you."

A second of two went by, and then he heard his sister's voice.

"Hi Rob," she said, very softly.

"You doing all right?"

"Yeah, I . . . I think so. Alan found a flashlight and the radio."

"I'll have you out of there very soon, Kara. Just hang on a little longer, okay?"

"Okay."

"Alan will make sure nothing happens to you."

"I know."

Rob slowed his truck down, as he caught a glimpse of the landslide.

"Oh, my God," he whispered, and then he pressed the button on the radio, "I'm there now, Kara, so I'm going to sign off and get you out of there, okay?"

"Hurry, Rob," she said.

"I will."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie ran to Rob's side of the truck.

"Where's the crawler?" She asked, in both a worried and an irritated way.

"Repairs."

"We need it, Rob," Ellie said, glancing into the back of the truck, "using these things will take hours to dig them out."

"Well, it's all we have, so start digging," Rob said, rushing out of the truck.

He grabbed a shovel and threw it to Ellie. She caught it.

"What about neighboring sites?"

"Carl called around, Ellie. No luck. There's one site that had a smaller tractor, but the engine wouldn't start. It had been broken for days."

Another man helped Rob get the jackhammer out from the back of truck. Ellie gave the shovel to Richard, and grabbed another one. Rob noticed she wasn't holding up all that well.

"Carl called the people who were fixing our crawler. They said it was finished, and so he's on his way there now."

"That's good news," Richard said, as he began the long process of digging.

Ellie wasn't as optimistic.

"That place is an hour away," she said.

"I know that," Rob said, looking down at the ground.

"It'll be dark when he gets back."

"I know that, too. But there's nothing we can do about that," Rob said.

Ellie and Rob stared at one another for a few moments. Richard could see the tension brewing between them. Both of them had a loved one trapped on the other side of the rock fortress, and it was understandable that they were both anxious to get them out.

"Sorry, Rob. I'm just worried," Ellie finally said.

"Me, too. My sister is deathly afraid of enclosed places, so we need to get them out of there as soon as possible."

They quickly hugged, and then got to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Kara was leaning her head on Alan's shoulder. She was completely quiet, with the exception of a few random bouts of crying. They had kept in contact with Rob and Ellie a few times, but now both sides decided on sparing the radio batteries, so there was no contact for now.

"We're going to be okay, Kara. We're not hurt, so that's the important thing."

When he mentioned that they weren't hurt, she thought she may have heard a little pain in his voice, so she reached for the flashlight in his hand. He handed it to her, and she shined it in his general direction. He squinted slightly, but continued to look toward her. He was holding the side of his face, so she carefully removed his hand, exposing some very nasty cuts. She could see blood on his face, and now that his hand wasn't there to stop it, the blood began to trickle down.

"You're bleeding," she said.

"I'm okay."

She looked closer at one particular gash on the left side of his face. It was very deep, and it looked very painful.

"You're going to need stitches, I think," she said, gesturing toward his cheek.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, his fingers brushing over the laceration, causing him to wince ever so slightly. That particular cut was close enough to his eye, to make his vision blurry, and it was annoying him. He shrugged it off and changed the subject, "Let's take a look at you," he said, reaching for the flashlight in her hand.

He was worried about her, that was for sure. It had only been a short time, since her car accident, and she really didn't need something like this to happen to her. He looked her over carefully, making sure she wasn't harmed in any way. She was pretty much fine, with the exception of a few bumps and bruises. He had been successful in protecting her from the initial danger, and that relieved him.

"I told you I was okay," Kara said, smiling.

"Just making sure."

He was making his own mini-assessment of her well being, as she looked away from him, nervously glancing around the cave. It looked like she had stopped shaking in fear, but now she just looked cold. The more he thought about it, he was kind of cold, too, so he was sure that she had to be. He remembered the back pack suddenly. Ellie usually kept a blanket in her back pack, so he reached behind him and grabbed the pack.

Kara watched him go through the back pack. She couldn't believe how fast she was able to control her fear of being trapped. The fear had been with her, since as long as she could remember, and yet, she was sitting down and feeling rather calm. Of course, she knew the anxiety could come back at any moment, but for the first time she felt like she might be able to control it better. She no longer felt as though she was suffocating.

Her thoughts were disturbed by Alan, as he was mumbling something.

"What?" She asked softly, raising her knees to her chest, taking up less space.

"Ellie's got a lot of stuff in here. I was just laughing about it."

"Anything we can use?"

Alan pulled out a blanket, smiling. At least once a week, he would make fun of his significant other, for keeping so many unnecessary things in her pack. Now, of course, he was extremely grateful. He moved closer to Kara, set the illuminated flashlight on the cave floor, and then gently wrapped her up in the blanket. Kara didn't even realize she had been that cold, until he bundled her up.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"You're welcome."

"How long do you think it'll be before we're out of here?" Kara asked.

"Hopefully, not long. We have some pretty good digging equipment, so it should go fairly quick."

"Good."

"I didn't realize you were claustrophobic," he added.

"Since I was a kid," she said, getting nervous again. "Pretty stupid, huh?"

"No, not at all."

She smiled at him. He was always so nice to her. Ever since the first time she had met him, she was instantly attracted to him. Alan was a great person, and, of course, she thought him handsome, as well. At the time, he had been married, so she didn't dare say anything to him . . . or to Rob, for that matter. When she had heard that his wife had passed away, she had gotten angry at herself for thinking that Kathryn's passing might open a door for her in the future. In fact, she was so angry with herself, that she thought it best to give him a lot of time to recover from the dramatic loss. Seeing that he was with Ellie now, caused Kara to realize that she had waited just a tad too long. It was a suitable punishment, in her mind, though. Ellie really was a lucky woman.

"I think we should turn the flashlight off, but if you're uncomfortable with that, I'll leave it on," he said.

Kara had been stuck in her own thoughts, and was confused by what he said for a minute, but then she understood the meaning.

"Could we leave it on? I'm not sure how I'd feel if it were pitch black in here again," she said, sighing.

"Sure," he answered, smiling, trying to reassure her. Leaving the flashlight wasn't the greatest of ideas, but he went along with her wishes.

Her thoughts were broken, when she heard a whimpering noise, coming from somewhere in a dark corner of the cave.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie was removing as many of the smaller rocks as she could. She was getting more and more impatient, as she glanced toward Rob. He was on the radio, talking to one of the volunteers that stayed at base camp. Finally, Rob stopped talking to the man.

"So, where's Carl? Did he call?"

"He did. He's almost there."

"How long?"

"Fifteen minutes, and he'll be to the shop."

Ellie frowned. It would be at least another two hours, after Porter got the crawler, headed back, and then drove out here in the middle of nowhere. But it was better than nothing.

"Well, let's keep diggi---" Ellie's sentence was cut short by the screaming of a little girl. "Where is that coming from?" She asked, looking all around her.

Rob looked just as dumbfounded. Finally, one of the tourists pointed toward the cliff, to the extreme right of where they were digging. A little girl in blue shorts and a white short sleeved shirt, came running toward them.

"What the . . .?" Ellie said, but trailed off, as she ran up to the little girl.

The girl was all of about eight years old. There was dirt all over her, and she wasn't showing any signs of letting up on the crying.

"It's okay, honey," Ellie whispered, as she hugged the tiny person.

The little girl looked up at her, and began to talk and cry at the same time.

"I . . . I . . . it wasn't me . . . it was her."

"What was her? What happened?" Ellie asked, in a completely soothing voice.

"Jenny. The bunny. Jenny wanted the bunny."

"Where's Jenny now?"

"The rocks took her away," the little girl said.

Ellie's eyes widened, as she realized what might have happened to Jenny.

"Okay," she began, and then paused. "What's your name?"

"Jessica."

"Okay, Jessica, can you show me where Jenny was?"

"Uh-huh," Jessica said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Ellie let Jessica go, and she followed the little girl around to the right side of the cliff. Rob walked in the same direction, first telling everyone else to keep digging. Rob and Ellie trailed Jessica for about ten minutes, until there was a large break in the cliff. There was a giant pocket here, and it looked as though the little girls may have been playing there. A little table made of rocks and blankets was there, along with little rocks in the perfect shape of a seat, sitting next to the little makeshift table.

"How old is your sister?" Ellie asked. The girl held up six fingers. "How long were you playing here?"

"A long time. A bunny ran up the hill, and she chased it."

Ellie looked at Rob, who was already investigating the area, looking for signs of a cave entrance.

"And then what happened?" Ellie asked nicely.

"Then, I got mad cause the bunny wouldn't go away. So I throwed stuff at it."

Rob was studying the rocks.

"Ellie, I think there was an entrance here, too."

She looked toward him, and then back toward Jessica.

"So where is Jenny now?"

Jessica pointed toward the landslide.

"In there."

Rob and Ellie looked at each other.

"I want my mommy," Jessica said, as she started to cry again.

"Okay, honey, we'll get your mommy in just a minute, okay?" Ellie said, kneeling down to hold her.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alan," she whispered, sitting up a little bit.

"I hear it," he whispered back, handing the radio to her.

He stood up and slowly made his way toward the noise. Kara moved the blanket away and stood up, as well, watching him move closer to the other side of the cave.

There was a very narrow spot when he got to what he thought was the end of the cave. It continued on, through a narrow passage way. He turned to look at Kara, who was taking a few steps toward him.

"Stay here," he whispered.

"Don't go in there," she said, fear instilled in her voice, as her anxiety began to creep up on her again. The farther he got away from her with the flashlight, the darker it was getting around her.

Just as he was going to answer her, he heard the whimpering again. Now that he was closer, it almost sounded like crying. He held his hand up to Kara, telling her to be silent, and then he took a few more steps through the narrow passage way.

Then, as suddenly as the crying had started, it had stopped. Alan stopped, too, looking around cautiously with the flashlight.

"Hello?" He whispered, almost frightening himself for reasons he couldn't fathom.

The crying started again, but then Alan heard something else. A rumbling. The rocks above the narrow passage way began to move, and then, in the span of only a few seconds, a miniature landslide started just to the right of where Alan was standing. He covered his head and began to back out of the passage way.

Kara was screaming his name, as he continued to back away. The crying he had heard earlier, developed into a scream, as the mini landslide continued. Alan froze, as he heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from somewhere ahead of him. He took a few steps back in the other direction, and found something very surprising crawling toward him, amidst the falling rubble.

A little girl suddenly appeared at his feet, crying and shaking. He picked her up and quickly began to back away again, holding an arm over her head to protect her.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie was doing her best to get some of the debris out of the way, where Rob was looking. He began to help her, when they heard a rumbling from inside the cave. All three of them heard it, and it caused little Jessica to start crying again. Rob was already on the radio, yelling Alan's name, before Ellie hardly turned around.

"Alan? Alan . . . can you read me? Alan? Kara?"

They stood motionless, listening to the rocks fall somewhere beyond them. Jessica grabbed Ellie's hand, while both females looked toward Rob. Finally, the rumbling from inside stopped. Rob glanced at Ellie and pushed the talk button again.

"Alan?"

"We're okay," came Kara's voice.

Rob sighed with relief, as did Ellie.

"Where's Alan?" Rob asked.

"He's coming back," Kara said, tremble in her voice.

"Where was he?"

"He found a little girl," Kara interrupted, not really answering Rob's question.

Rob smiled at Ellie, and then pushed the talk button again.

"Yeah, we found her sister out here. How is she?"

"I don't know yet."

Rob could tell Kara's fear was subsiding again. And then, right before Kara released the talk button, he could hear Alan yelling something.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"We'll call you back in a second, okay?" Kara asked.

"Sure."

Rob handed the radio to Ellie.

"Here ya go. When he finds the time to call back, I'm sure talking to you would be a better idea," he said, almost laughing.

Ellie shook her head as she reached for the radio.

"Your claustrophobic sister, and now a crying little girl. Alan will need more than just me to talk to when this is over."

Jessica tugged on Ellie's shorts.

"Where's Jenny?"

Ellie kneeled down to her level.

"She's okay, honey. They found her."

Jessica smiled broadly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


"What are . . . how did you . . . what is going on!" Alan shouted at the frightened little girl.

"You're scaring her," Kara said softly.

"Well," Alan said, glaring at the girl, who had started to cry again, "She scared me first!"

"Alan," Kara said, in a disapproving tone.

Alan threw his hands up in the air.

"Fine. I'll shut up."

Kara smiled and gestured for the little girl to come over to her. She had been standing next to the screaming adult, so Kara looked very inviting compared to that. She walked toward Kara, all the while giving frightening glances toward Alan.

"So, what's your name?" Kara asked, as the girl came to rest next to her.

"Jenny."

"Well, hello there Jenny. My name is Kara," Then she pointed toward Alan, "and that grumpy guy over there is Alan."

Jenny stared at him, waiting for him to say or do something. He just waved quickly and went back to looking around the area she had come from. Kids made him completely nervous, especially crying and whining little kids. He did his best to ignore her, but he did realize something significant. Having the little annoyance in here was helping Kara's condition. She had something to focus on now, as she partly covered Jenny with the blanket. Holding the little girl close, she looked toward Alan. He was limping slightly now, as he made his way to the narrow passage way.

"Alan, you okay? You're limping."

He turned to look at her. A scowl resided on his face, but when he looked at the two of them wrapped up and frightened, he altered his current mood.

"Yeah. I just bumped my leg somewhere."

"Which leg?"

"The one that I broke."

"You sure you're okay? Maybe you should come over here and sit down."

Alan stared at her, wanting to know how she could possibly think it would help in any way, for him to go and sit next to a child.

"Uh, maybe in a second, I want to take a closer look over here first."

Kara nodded, holding Jenny a little tighter, as Alan and the flashlight wandered away again. She decided to try and persuade some information out of the shaking little girl.

"Jenny, can you tell me what happened? How did you get in here?"

"A bunny."

"Bunny?" Kara asked.

"Yes."

"You were chasing a bunny?"

"Yes."

Alan was still close enough to hear most of the conversation. It annoyed him how kids didn't just come right out and answer questions. Why did they have to answer everything with one or two discreet words. He didn't verbalize his thoughts, though, as he continued through the narrow passage way, looking for a possible way out.

Kara was getting somewhere with Jenny. After talking with the child for a few minutes, she was able to find out that she had been chasing a bunny, and that her sister didn't want her to chase the bunny. So her sister began to throw rocks at the bunny, trying to scare it away. The bunny began to shuffle off, and Jenny followed the little fluffy thing all the way to the side of the cliff, where the bunny had gone into a hole. The hole was big enough for Jenny to fit through, but she was a little scared to do so. She peeked her head into the hole, looking for the bunny, but couldn't see anything. Her sister was yelling, wanting to go back to playing. To pass the time, she continued to throw rocks at the cliff, as high as she could. Before Jenny knew it, rocks were falling all around her, and she crawled into the hole for safety. The hole was covered up quickly, leaving the little girl in darkness.

"So, how did you find us?" Kara asked.

"I heard voices."

"So you followed the voices?"

"Yes."

"Well, that was a good idea."

"Yes."

Alan made his way out of the narrow passage and approached them.

"I don't think there's a way out that way," he said, sighing, with one hand holding his wounded face.

"I could have told you that," Jenny said, without thinking.

Alan glared at her. Jenny had forgotten that he wasn't very nice, and had just blurted out before thinking. Kara playfully messed up her blonde hair.

"Yeah, we could have told you that," she said, smiling.

Alan stood there, staring at them for a second. Then, he rolled his eyes and distanced himself from them.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


"Carl is almost here," Rob called out, turning the radio down and holding it at waist level.

"Thank God," Ellie whispered.

"I think we've managed to put a sizable dent in the rock structure," Richard commented, as he continued to move the larger rocks by hand.

Ellie, Rob, and their newfound little friend, joined back up with Richard and company only a few minutes before. Everyone had been working diligently, making a very successful team, with Rob and Ellie were away briefly.

Rob stepped away to talk to Alan and Kara on the radio, giving them an update. When he was finished, Ellie talked to Alan for a moment, and then Rob put the radio away again. As they walked back up, Richard intercepted them.

"The mother of the little destroyers of nature . . . is here," he said, laughing and pointing.

Ellie spotted a woman off in the distance, frantically pushing people out of the way, yelling. She looked at Richard. He wasn't making any movements toward the woman. Neither was Rob.

"Okay, I'll go talk to her," she sighed.

"Good," Rob said softly, staring at the woman, who was now swearing at anyone who would listen.

Ellie took Jessica by the hand, and approached the woman, with Rob and Richard watching for the pure amusement of it all. Jessica saw her mother and yelled cheerfully, letting go of Ellie's hand, and running toward her. The woman seemed very happy to see the little girl, as she waved off the people around her, and began to run. Mother and daughter hugged briefly, and then the mother checked over Jessica very carefully for injuries. After quickly looking around, she looked up at Ellie.

"Where is Jenny? Where is my other daughter?"

"She was involved in a minor accident. There was a landslide, and she's trapped in a cave," Ellie said, gesturing toward the area where all of the volunteers, students, and tourists were.

"Trapped?" The mother almost yelled, "Is she okay?"

"Yes. She's fine. There are two other people trapped in the cave, as well, including the site's paleontologist.

"That guy who hates kids?"

Ellie didn't know how to react to that for some reason, thrown totally off guard by the statement. Did these people just stand around all day and gossip about the people who worked here? She cleared her thoughts, and tried to come up with a good answer.

"No. He doesn't hate children. That's silly."

The mother dismissed that statement.

"Can I talk to her?"

"Sure, hold on. I'll get a radio," Ellie said, happy that the woman didn't delve further into the child thing. She turned around, "Rob!" She yelled through cupped hands, "I need a radio."

At first Rob was worried that Ellie was trying to pull him into the conversation with the mother, but when he realized that she only wanted a radio, he was happy to help. He ran up to them and handed the radio to Ellie. A few happy words were exchanged between Jenny and her mother, and then it was decided that the radio should be shut off, once again to save batteries.

Holding Jessica's hand, the mother began to question Ellie again.

"So, how is it that my children are allowed to play near a potentially dangerous cliff side anyway?"

Rob, who had been standing next to Ellie, began to back away, seeing the rage slowly growing inside the woman, as she began to think more clearly about the situation. Ellie took a step forward.

"Just what are you suggesting?" Ellie said, in a defensive tone.

"Who was watching my children, as they were terrorized with falling rocks? That, is what I am saying," the woman retorted.

"There wasn't supposed to be kids allowed past that first instructional area, near base camp. I'm not sure why your children were running around alone and unsupervised in the first place. We're not a baby-sitting service. We are simply, a means for access into information about dinosaur bones."

"Well, for your information, oh great scientist woman . . . my husband was watching them, but I have no idea where he is at the moment."

"Don't patronize me, lady. I'm not going to stand down and take that shit."

Rob hadn't quite left yet. As the disagreement escalated, he sighed and walked toward them.

"Ladies. I'm sure none of that matters now. What does matter, is that there are three people trapped in that cave over there," he said, pointing toward the nonexistent entrance, "and we need to save them. You are both just talking through fear and worry, so please stop it."

The woman was about to say something else, but Rob held up a hand.

"Please, if I may . . . I need to take Dr. Sattler over there, so that she can assist with the digging. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until everyone is safe and sound, before debating further."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been about a half hour now, and Alan was quietly pacing back and forth with a slight limp, trying to adjust to the eerie silence that had invaded the cave. They could faintly hear the noises of metal hitting rock, as the people outside were working hard to free them, but it had become so routine, he barely even noticed anymore. After a small bout of crying, Jenny had fallen asleep next to Kara, relieving Alan to no end.

Kara was sitting on the cave floor, staring at Alan, as he continued to stay on the move, creating a pathway in the dirt. She was starting to feel some anxiety again, involuntarily focusing on the flashlight that was dancing around as Alan walked. She wiped a few random tears away, as she felt herself feeling confined again. She pushed the blanket from her, and gently scooted away from Jenny, being careful not to wake her.

"Alan," she whispered, glancing over to Jenny, to make sure she wasn't being too loud. Alan stopped his pacing and looked toward her. "Could you come here for a minute?"

He looked at Jenny, who was sleeping soundly.

"Sure." He walked toward her, "You okay?"

"I'm feeling a little nervous again."

"It'll only be about another hour, Kara. Not too much longer now."

"I know, but I can't control when these anxieties hit me. I'm sorry." Alan was still standing, "Could you sit down for a second, maybe relax and talk to me. I think it might help," she said, as she noticed herself shaking again.

He immediately sat down next to her, setting the flashlight on the ground. There was a dimmed glow coming from the flashlight, hinting that the batteries were starting to falter. It cast a strange glow on the walls, giving Kara the creeps. She adjusted herself, so that she was as close to Alan as possible, and then leaned her head on his shoulder. He held his arms around her, as the light became less and less bright.

"You're cold," she whispered.

"Excuse me?"

Kara laughed and was relieved to be able to do something as easy as laugh.

"It's cold in here. You feel cold," she explained.

"I thought you were talking about my child skills."

"Well, that, too," she joked, still shaking uncontrollably.

He glanced at her face. She was staring at the flashlight now, watching the energy fade from it.

"Kara, when that light goes out, it's going to be okay. I've got you. We're getting out of here very soon. Just remember that."

"Okay," she whispered, as the dim light faded even more.

Alan thought about what to do, in case she couldn't handle the darkness of cave. The only solution he could think of, was to use the batteries from the radio in the flashlight, but that wouldn't be very smart. He hoped she would just be able to cope. He hoped that the little girl would be able to cope. He hoped that he would be able to cope with the little girl.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


"Carl!" Rob yelled in complete happiness.

Carl drove up to the landslide area. He had the crawler on a trailer behind Alan's truck. He smiled, as he put the truck in reverse and backed the trailer toward the cave. After stopping the truck and getting out, everyone applauded.

"Thank you. Thank you very much. I take money," he joked.

Rob was already in the crawler, backing it off the trailer. He drove the tractor toward where the cave entrance used to be and got to work.

Ellie looked at Richard.

"What time is it?"

"Twenty after."

"Only ten more minutes until Alan turns the radio back on," she said happily.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Alan wasn't coping well at all. The flashlight had gone out about ten minutes before, instantly waking up Jenny. She had been crying and whining for ten minutes straight, while Kara held onto her, wrapping the blanket around her more securely. He was about to erupt with anger, but he knew that would do no good. He was vaguely wishing to be anywhere but in this cave, including out in the middle of nowhere with a broken leg. At least he had peace and quiet then. He sighed, as he realized these thoughts were just his own idiosyncracies affecting his judgment, so it would be unwise to take it out on them. He moved away from where he was sitting and carefully stood up in the darkness.

"Where are you going?" Kara asked.

"No where."

Jenny was starting to settle down a little bit, and Kara's reaction to the darkness had really surprised him. He was very proud of the way she was taking it. He decided to try and be nicer to them, especially Jenny, since things seemed to be going so well.

"Anyone want to hear a story?"

"Sure," Jenny said quickly in the darkness.

"Absolutely," Kara added.

"Well, once upon a time there was . . . uh, a . . . uh," Alan said, seeming as if he were trying to remember something, ". . . a . . . chicken."

"A chicken?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, a chicken."

"Why was there a chicken?" The little girl asked. The whine in her voice was completely gone now.

"This is my story, so there's a chicken," he said, smiling in the darkness.

"Okay," Jenny said, and then she added, "whatever."

Alan went on with this story and Kara was just smiling in the darkness, focusing on every word spoken. Her eyes were getting somewhat used to the dark now, and she was able to almost make out Alan's silhouette, as he continued his stupid story about a chicken.

". . . and so Ralph decided to take the long way around, so he wouldn't have to run into any of the bad chickens."

"Why would he do that? Ralph was bigger than them," Jenny asked.

"Because Ralph was not a fighter."

"Ralph is a wimp," Jenny said, laughing.

"He most certainly was not a wimp. He was a . . . a . . . okay, he was a wimp," Alan said, laughing with her.

Kara joined in, as well. The three of them continued to laugh until Alan pushed the button on his watch to see what time it was. His partially blurred vision bothered him slightly, as he tried to make out the position of the hands. The tiny light partly lit the room up, causing Jenny to gasp in awe.

"Okay, time to turn the radio back on," he said.

Kara turned it on and handed it to him.

"Ellie?"

Ellie was instantly on the other end of the radio.

"Alan. Carl is here and we're digging you out right now. It won't be much longer."

"That's excellent," he said.

Kara and Jenny stood up and hugged him, causing him to feel a little bit standoffish, but he didn't let on that it made him uncomfortable. He simply hugged them back, annoyed with himself that he was such a jerk in the first place.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


After a few more hard hits, the rocks finally fell in a way where the light from the giant tractor began to shine through into the cave. Kara and Jenny began to jump for joy, as Alan continued to look toward the light, that was slowly becoming an entrance once again. Kara stopped hugging the little girl and looked at Alan.

"We're getting out of here," she said with a relief.

He smiled at her.

"You doubted me?" He joked.

She smiled back and hugged him. The physical contact, and the way the light was hitting his face, was suddenly all the excuse Kara needed, to act. He was already turned away from the rock-filled entrance, so she nudged him back until he was against the rubble. When he stopped, she almost caused him to trip, so he stretched his arms out to balance. She looked him in the eye, reached around the back of his neck, and then . . . kissed him.

Jenny gasped, and then giggled quietly to herself.

Still reaching behind him, Alan simply grabbed the cave wall, totally shocked by Kara's reaction. He began to bring his arms around, as he was about to gently try to put a stop to it, when she moved herself away from him. Even in the dim-lit area, Kara could see that he was confused by her actions. _He should be_, she thought to herself, _because I'm a hopeless idiot_. They continued to stare at each other strangely, until Jenny coughed, causing them to come back to the here and now.

"Sorry about that," Kara said, softly, not really sorry at all.

"Uh," Alan began, but couldn't think of anything to add to that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Jenny crawled out first, taking her time. Rob reached in and grabbed her, carefully pulling her out. The fresh air was simply wonderful. Her mother was right there, so she hurried to her, embracing her tightly.

Kara was next. Alan had been assisting her, and before she crawled out, she turned and looked at him briefly.

"Do we have to tell anyone about what happened?"

"I think it's safe to say that this can be our little secret," Alan said, smiling, still finding the situation more than a little awkward.

"Okay, good," she said, smiling. Then she crawled out of the cave and into Rob's awaiting arms.

Alan grabbed Ellie's pack and quickly followed her out of their shared enclosure. He wasn't all the way out yet, when Ellie was already grabbing him by the shirt, helping him crawl out the rest of the way. Laughing, he made his way out and embraced Ellie tightly, to which she began to cry like a baby. All the people who had been helping and praying, all gathered around the three survivors and applauded loudly and happily, whistling and yelling in joy. 

When Ellie finally let go of Alan, she stood back and noticed the nasty gash on his face. She reached out and gently touched his face, causing him to wince.

"That looks pretty bad," she said, in a worried tone.

"A few butterfly sutures and it'll be fine."

"I think that may need more than that, my friend," Richard said, appearing in front of him.

The cousins nodded and quickly hugged each other. Alan looked back at Ellie, who still looked worried.

"Okay, okay, I'll go to the hospital if you'll stop looking at me like that," he conceded, causing Ellie to finally look happy.

Rob was looking over Kara carefully. She seemed okay, and he was beyond happy to see her laughing and looking well.

"Come on, I'll take you home so that you can get some rest."

Kara nodded, and followed her brother to his truck. She turned to glance over at Alan and Ellie, and Alan glanced back toward her, as well. He smiled, and then his attention was diverted back to Ellie and Richard.

Ellie could hear the other little girl telling her mom about what had happened. After the initial explanation, Jenny began to tell her mother and sister about Ralph the chicken. Richard and Alan overheard her, as well, causing Richard to throw Alan a strange look.

"You told them Uncle Charlie's stupid story of Ralph the chicken?" He said, laughing.

"It's all I could think of," Alan said, shrugging his shoulders and joining in the laughter.

All he could think of, at that moment though, was Kara. He was still floored over what had happened in the cave, more surprised that he didn't recognize her feelings sooner. She was a very beautiful woman, and Alan had always been fond of her, but he just wasn't attracted to her in that way. At least, he didn't think so. He never really thought about it before, and the whole thing was starting to give him a headache.

He followed Ellie to his truck. After waiting for Carl to unhook the trailer, Ellie drove the truck away from the dig site and toward the hospital. During the ride, she began to snicker.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"The staff at the hospital, are going to know you by name pretty soon if you don't stop hurting yourself."

He laughed, knowing she was correct yet again.

After everyone had departed the area, leaving the place calm and serene, a rabbit poked its head out of the cave opening. It sniffed the Montana air, took a quick look around, and quickly jumped out, running into the nearby field.

  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha

  


Author Note: I'd like to thank everyone for the wonderful support! I love to write, and having people who are interested in what I'm writing is a great plus for an aspiring writer. So, thanks again, and I hope everyone continues to enjoy the last few chapters!


	28. Chapter 28: Courtroom Follies

  


Chapter 28: Courtroom Follies

  


_July 28, 1992 - Tuesday_

  


"When did you find out about Mr. Diamond taking credit for the discovery from May 29, 1991?"

"That same day."

"And you brought it to his attention right away?"

"Yes."

"And did he try to explain to you why you misunderstood his intentions?"

"His intentions were not misunderstood."

"That was not the question, sir. The question was did he try to explain his actions to you?"

"Yes, he tried to---"

The attorney cut him off, shortly after the 'Yes'. It was the defense's turn to cross-examine prosecution's prime witness, and this attorney wasn't going to give in easily.

"Did you listen to his explanation? Or did you simply judge him prematurely and take drastic measures against him?"

"Objection. Defense is leading the witness," the prosecutor interrupted.

"Sustained," the judge said, looking toward the defense attorney, "Rephrase, and I'll permit it."

"Sir, did you fire Mr. Diamond before hearing his side of the story?"

"No."

"So, you did listen to his side of the story?"

"There was no "his side of the story". He lied about---"

"So, you did not listen to what he had to say?"

"Not all of it, no."

"But you did listen to all of what another student . . . a Ms. Ellie Sattler . . . had to say. You listened to her side of the story, is that correct?"

"There was no story. I was there when the discovery was initially made, so I witnessed her finding it."

"Are you and Ms. Sattler . . . involved?" Alan looked at the defense attorney, but said nothing. "Please answer the question, Dr. Grant."

Alan looked toward Ellie, who was sitting in the spectator section.

"Yes."

"Were you involved, on or before May 29, 1991, sir?"

"No."

"Are you quite certain?"

"Yes."

"Were you . . . smitten . . . with her back then, sir?"

"Smitten?"

"Yes, sir."

"I guess so, yes."

"Then is it possible that you simply ignored Mr. Diamond's pleads for justice, because you were . . . smitten . . . with the other person in the dispute."

"There was another person involved in that dispute. Another student, as well," Alan offered.

"That has no bearing on this case, sir. There is no record of another student."

"There was no record of it at all," Alan said.

"Except for a notation on one of your record books from the dig site."

Alan starred at the man, not really knowing where this was going. The man held up a logbook.

"I'd like to admit this as Exhibit C. A logbook from the dig site in Northeastern Montana, near Hell's Creek." The judge nodded. "According to this logbook, sir, you had written an explanation for Mr. Diamond's departure."

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"It says here . . . and I quote . . . Greg Diamond let go today for lying and trying to steal someone else's find," the man closed the book, "Did you write that, sir?"

"Yes, I did."

"And now you want the court to believe that there was another student in the mix, as well?"

"Yes, there was."

"There is no record of that, in this logbook, sir. It clearly stated 'someone else's find', and nothing more."

"There was another student. You will find her name in that logbook a little farther down, as the fossil was examined."

"Yes. It does mention that she examined the fossil. But it does not state that she, in fact, helped discover the fossil."

The judge sighed, causing the defense attorney to look toward him.

"What is the point of this query, sir?" The judge asked.

"Well, sir. It's to show that there were only two students present at the time of discovery. And that Dr. Grant took the side of one student over another, because that other student was someone he fancied."

Ellie tensed up and almost stood up in protest, but Rob was already holding her hand and squeezing it tight, so she remained seated and quiet. Alan sat in the testimony box, stewing, but he didn't dare show he was angry. That would backfire on him at this point. The defense attorney went back to questioning him.

"So, Dr. Grant. I would like to touch on the actual dismissing of Mr. Diamond as a student."

"Okay."

"According to my client, you made it a point to hunt him down and find him, in order to dismiss him."

"That is not true."

"What is your version of the truth, sir? Could you please tell the court."

Alan sighed, as he thought about just how much he hated this sort of thing.

"I dismissed him on the spot. Right there on the field, next to the discovery. Later on, he---"

"So, you dismissed him just as soon as you thought, and I do stress 'thought", that he had lied about finding the fossil?"

Alan was becoming slightly unraveled, trying to decipher all the different ways of asking the same question.

"Yes," he finally said, "I told him that he had to leave."

"According to my client, you dismissed him later in the day, during a heated conversation in front of your trailer, sir."

"No."

"So, you didn't have a heated conversation in front of your trailer?"

"Yes, we did, but---"

"Were there other people present at the time?"

"No. Not that I know of."

"So, again . . . it's your word against Mr. Diamond's."

Alan was getting fed up with the whole courtroom process.

"Yeah, it seems so, doesn't it?" He asked, sighing.

"Dr. Grant, were you annoyed by Mr. Diamond?"

"Annoyed?" Alan asked, but his question wasn't quite heard, as the prosecutor stood up, already stating his objection to the wording of the question.

The judge nodded, "Sustained. Keep it specific, Mr. Ross," the judge said.

"Yes, sir," the defense attorney said. He looked back to the witness, "Dr. Grant, did you find Mr. Diamond annoying to work with?"

"No."

"Did you find him difficult to work with?"

"Yes, at times."

"Was Mr. Diamond outspoken and impatient?"

"Yes."

"And those are traits of someone you would find difficult to work with?"

"Yes."

"So, is it safe to say you didn't like the kid?"

"Objection!" The prosecutor said loudly.

"Overruled. You can answer the question, Dr. Grant," the judge said.

Alan took a deep breath before answering. "It wasn't easy to teach him anything. He already thought he knew everything."

"Before the events of May 29, 1991 . . . would you say you found it 'difficult' to work with Mr. Diamond?"

"Yes."

"So, is it possible that, in addition to taking the side of your lover---"

"Objection!" The prosecutor shouted.

"Sustained," the judge said. Then he added, "Mr. Ross, you're treading on thin ice, sir."

"Let me rephrase that," Ross stated, "Dr. Grant, is it possible that you took Ms. Sattler's side because you were involved with her . . . and because you didn't like Mr. Diamond in the first place?"

"Absolutely not."

"And this . . . so-called confrontation . . . with my client, near your trailer. Is it possible that you have just gotten the facts mixed up."

"No."

"Are you an easily angered person, Dr. Grant?"

"No."

The defense attorney approached Alan, gesturing toward the black and blue marks on his face.

"Looks as though you get into a lot of fights, Dr. Grant."

"Objection. The defense cannot make assumptions," the prosecutor said.

"Sustained," the judge said, and then looked toward the jury, "The jury will disregard that last statement."

It was already too late, though, as several of the jurors looked as if they were buying into the lies of the defense. The defense attorney continued.

"Dr. Grant, would you say that the last time you talked with Mr. Diamond, it was a heated discussion?"

"Yes."

"And would you say that Mr. Diamond had a right to be upset?"

"I guess so."

"You guess so. You told him to leave, sir. I think that is grounds for being upset."

"When you put it that way, yes."

"So, what you are saying, sir, is that you were, indeed, the one who had started the confrontation with Mr. Diamond, when you thought he was lying to you?"

"No, that is not what I said. I said---"

"No further questions at this time," the defense attorney announced, turning his back to Alan.

  


"Care to re-examine, Mr. Warner?" The judge asked the prosecutor.

"Yes, I would, sir."

"Your witness then, counsel," the judge stated.

Mr. Warner stood up and approached Alan. The prosecution needed to clear up some of the facts in their case, so he quickly went right into it.

"Could you tell the court where those black and blue marks on your face came from, sir?"

"From an accident at a dig site I oversee. There was a cave-in and I was trapped for several hours."

"So, the cuts and bruises are from that accident?"

"Yes."

"And to repeat some information in that twisted questioning technique used by my colleague . . . "

"Objection!"

"Please rephrase that, sir," the judge said, sighing.

"To reiterate previous facts . . . were there witnesses present, when you dismissed Mr. Diamond?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Two. Ellie Sattler and Allison Dover."

"Thank you, Dr. Grant. No further questions at this time."

Raymond Knox's lawyer questioned Alan next, and about half way through, the judge called for a break. The questioning had been intense, but not as intense as Greg Diamond's lawyer. Ellie was waiting in the closest hallway for Alan to be dismissed by the judge. She felt relieved to see him finally, as he exited the courtroom. She casually smiled, as he walked toward her. He was wearing a suit, which really made him look handsome, but she could tell that he was very uncomfortable wearing it.

"You holding up okay?" She asked, when he was close to her.

After a long sigh, and a quick brush through his hair with his hand, he answered.

"Yeah," after another pause, he continued while awkwardly adjusting his tie, "I think Diamond is going to get off easy."

"That lawyer is really good," she admitted.

"I can't believe this judge is letting you and Rob stay in the courtroom. It's kind of like a conflict of interest, or something . . . isn't it?"

"It is kind of strange, now that you mention it."

"Where is Rob anyway?" Alan asked, looking around.

"Little boy's room."

"Good idea," Alan said, nodding, "I think I'll do the same . . . God knows how long I'll be stuck up there in that uncomfortable chair, answering the same questions stated in a hundred different ways."

"Hang in there, Alan. It'll be over soon."

"Not soon enough."

"What did the judge say to you, right before you left?"

Alan laughed.

"He told me not to talk about the case."

She smiled at him.

"Well, you better stop it then," she said, slightly gesturing to a guard that just walked from the courtroom.

Alan took the queue.

"I'll see you later," he said, in a short manner.

"Okay."

She watched him head off in the other direction.

  
  


_August 4, 1992 - Tuesday_

  


With the trial well into day four, the defense began to call its own witnesses. Alan's testimony was completed on day two, with Ellie and Rob's started and completed on day three. The three of them were about the only witnesses in regards for Greg Diamond, but the prosecution had quite a few more witnesses lined up for Raymond Knox. All but one witness, finished testimony on day three, leaving one straggling witness for the prosecution on day four.

The rest of day, the defense introduced their witnesses, including family members of Greg Diamond. on day four, and the judge was getting set to let the jury deliberate.

That's when the prosecution introduced another witness, out of turn. The surprise witness took the stand and waited for the questions.

"Could you state your name for the court, please?" Mr. Warner said nicely.

"Allison Dover."

"Ms. Dover, could you tell the court where you were on the afternoon of May 29, 1991?"

"Certainly. I was at a Paleontological dig site headed by Alan Grant near Fort Peck Lake, Montana."

"And what were you doing there?"

"I was a volunteer student there for the summer."

"Could you tell the court the events that transpired on May 29, 1991?"

"Another student, Ellie Sattler, and I had discovered a plant fossil completely in tact. Dr. Grant immediately came to see it, and after looking, decided to go the supply tent to get some glue to secure the find. Ellie Sattler went with him, leaving me at the location alone. After a few minutes, Greg Diamond walked by, to take a look at it."

"And Greg Diamond was just another student, correct?" 

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, go on. What happened after he arrived, Ms. Dover?"

"Well, he talked with me about it for several seconds, and then he stated that he wanted to be included in the discovery."

"And what did you say?"

"I said no."

"What did Mr. Diamond say to that?"

"He said he didn't care what I said because I was a female and people would believe him over myself."

"Objection!"

"Overruled," the judge said, "Go on, Mr. Warner."

"And then what happened?" Warner asked.

"Shortly after that, Ellie came back and fought with him as well."

Warner looked at the judge, and then to the jury.

"Let the record show, that Ms. Sattler has already testified about this particular argument this witness is referring to. So, we'll move onto my last point."

The judge nodded, as did most of the jurors.

"Okay, Ms. Dover, where were your sleeping quarters located? On site or off site?"

"On site, sir.""Could you tell us what you overheard on the evening of May 29, 1991?"

"I knew that Dr. Grant was still around the dig site, as he hardly ever leaves the premises, so I had gone looking for him, to ask him a question about the plant fossil we had found."

"Did you find him?"

"Yes, sir. I found him very close to his trailer."

"Did you talk with him?"

"No, sir. He was talking to someone else, so I didn't want to bother him."

"Could you see whom he was talking to?"

"Yes, sir. It was Greg Diamond."

"Objection!" Diamond's attorney yelled, but knew there was no reason for it, other than just halting the momentum of the prosecution.

The judge noticed this, as well.

"Overruled," he said, sighing.

"So, could you hear what Mr. Diamond and Dr. Grant were talking about?"

"Yes. Greg was very upset at Dr. Grant for dismissing him earlier. He was talking in a very threatening tone."

"Objection! The witness is speculating."

"Your honor, this witness is simply stating how she thought Greg Diamond's spoken words were delivered," Warner said, matter-of-factly.

"Overruled, but get to the point, counsel."

"Yes, sir," Warner stated, and then looked back at Allison, "Ms. Dover, could you clearly hear any of the words being spoken?"

"Yes."

"Could you please share with the court, what you overheard."

"Greg tried to get Dr. Grant to reinstate him. He even went as far as to offer money to do so. Dr. Grant stayed firm, though and kept repeating no. Greg told Dr. Grant that he would be sorry for what he did."

"After hearing this, did you fear for Dr. Grant's safety?"

"Yes, I did."

"Would any reasonable person fear for Dr. Grant's safety, from these words?"

"Objection. The witness cannot speak for others."

"Sustained."

"Question withdrawn, your honor. No further questions at this time."

Nodding, the judge looked toward the defense table.

"Your witness, Mr. Ross."

Ross stood up.

"No questions, your honor."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mr. Diamond, sir. You have been found guilty on two counts of Assault and Battery. But since this is your first offense, I am going to go a little more lenient with my sentence. Since you already served two months in jail last year, I hereby grant you two years of probation, accompanied by three hundred hours of community service.

This sentence received a few gasps from the audience seated in the court room. Greg was obviously very happy with this decision, as it meant he could continue his studies and become a scientist. He stood there, glancing over toward Alan and Ellie, smugly smiling, as he straightened his hair.

Alan could tell that Ellie was not taking that sentence very well. She was very tense, as she was squeezing his hand very tightly, trying to control her emotions. She had promised that she would, and that's the only reason she was here. Alan tried to talk her out of coming, but she had insisted. He was angry with the outcome, too, but he was able to cope with it.

"Now onto Mr. Raymond Knox," the judge said, looking over to Raymond, who stood up after his name was called. "You sir, have been found guilty of a great many things, including six counts of Assault and Battery, Operating Under Influence of Liquor, Motor Vehicle Negligence, Negligence Leaving the Scene with Property Damage, and Passing Counterfeit Bills, not to mention the two additional counts of Assault and Battery proven in this latest trial."

Raymond was still standing but didn't look so well.

"Mr. Knox, you are a detriment to society, sir, and I am giving you the maximum sentences in each of these cases."

Raymond stood there, almost in a fog, listening to the years upon years, that the judge continued to add to his sentence. Finally, he started to become a little coherent, understanding his grave situation. Upon hearing the judge's final words, Raymond grew very angry, rather than remorseful. He was about to spend the rest of his foreseeable life in prison and it was all due to Alan Grant. He quickly turned around, seeking out the man who ruined his life. He found him quickly, pushed one of the defense attorneys away, and jumped the little guard rail, gunning for Alan.

Alan saw him coming, but he was sitting so close to Raymond, there was no proper time to react. Raymond landed on him, breaking the wooden bench he was sitting on. The two men hit the floor, with Raymond repeatedly punching him as hard as possible.

Ellie had been sitting next to Alan, when the bench broke. She had quickly stood up and reached into her purse. She looked toward the front of the court building and saw that the bailiff and a guard were on their way toward them. There was no time to waste though, as Raymond continued to punch Alan with fury. She watched Alan finally get angry, as he began to punch Raymond back. He had been successful in getting the madman off of him, and that's when Ellie decided to strike.

She grabbed Raymond by the hair, pulled his face toward her, and doused his wide-open eyes with mace. Raymond grabbed at his eyes, screaming loudly, but still swinging blindly toward Alan. The bailiff reached the convicted criminal, and together with the guard, the men got Raymond to his feet. They struggled with the angry man for several minutes, before they finally got him under control enough to escort him from the courtroom.

Greg Diamond simply stood in bewilderment, at what just occurred. He didn't dare move, for fear of being Ellie's next victim, as she was making eye contact with him now.

Alan was still sprawled out on the floor, looking up at the woman he loved. She still had the mace can in her hand, ready just in case Raymond got away again. Finally feeling his eyes on her, she looked down at him. He smiled at her.

"Thank you," he said, wincing as he touched his jaw, and then smiling despite the pain.

"My pleasure," she said, smiling back.

"Order in the court!" The judge yelled.

Ellie tucked the mace can back in her purse and helped Alan to his feet, and then carefully checked his injuries. His clothes were slightly ruffled, but for the most part he didn't look hurt . . . he looked angry. He took hold of her hands.

"I'm okay," he said, looking to where the bench used to be. He moved over to another bench, "Come on. Sit down . . . before you get us arrested."

She nodded and calmly sat down. The judge wasn't so calm.

"Ms. Sattler! Surrender that weapon!"

"Weapon?"

"Yes. The mace can. Give it to me now."

"Yes, sir."

Ellie took the mace can out of her purse and gave it to the bailiff.

"Sir, I'd like to apologize for---"

"How did you get that in here?" The judge demanded, interrupting her apology.

"How?"

"Ellie, quit fooling around. Just tell him," Alan whispered.

"You're not really wanting to make me repeat myself, are you?" The judge warned, clearly annoyed.

"No, sir. I - I just carry that in my purse, sir. No one checked my purse when I entered."

The judge looked around at the few security guards, who were now looking down, not daring to make eye contact with the irate man.

"Very well, then. What's done is done," he said calmly. Then he lost his temper, "So, if you would . . . get out of my court room before I make up something to charge you with!" The judge shouted.

Alan quickly stood up and grabbed Ellie's hand, escorting her out of the courtroom. The judge's angry outbursts could still be heard.

"Case closed!"

Alan, with Ellie in hand, made it to the exit to the building. They could still hear the judge.

"Who here was responsible for checking bags and purses?" He was shouting.

"Got him all riled up, I guess," Ellie whispered.

"And why was that felon not handcuffed! What kind of a courtroom do you think I'm running here!" The judge yelled, and then continued to yell other incomprehensible things.

Alan waited for the judge to stop, and then he looked at Ellie, "You have that effect on people sometimes," he commented, and then he laughed.

"What is so funny?" He was about to answer, but she stopped him, "I don't think it's funny that I was almost arrested or whatever . . . saving you, I may add."

"No, it's not that," Alan said, laughing more, "although that is funny." He waited for her to hit him in the arm before he continued. "I was thinking about Raymond. You maced him when you first met him, and now . . . you just maced him the last time you'll probably see him."

Ellie laughed, too.

"That guy must hate me and my mace can."

"Serves him right," Alan commented.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The judge waited until an hour after the courthouse closed, before he began the trek to his car. It was still daylight, but the sky was somewhat gloomy, as a light drizzle had begun. He reached his car, and that's when a dark clothed man approached him. The man had been carrying a briefcase and had set it down, next to the judge's feet.

"You did very well . . . with the exception of the lack of arresting Ellie Sattler for possible assault and battery of her own."

"I believe that I've done enough for your family."

"Speaking of which, you could have lessened those community hours.

"A lesser sentence would have looked suspicious. Your son is lucky, and he should be more than happy about how things turned out, sir. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The judge was whispering and looking about to make sure they were alone. He nonchalantly picked up the suitcase, opened his car door, and placed it on the passenger seat.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, judge," the man said.

"I bet it was, Mr. Diamond."

Gerald Diamond took a step forward, stopping the judge from closing his door.

"Please, sir. No names."

"Sorry. Of course, whatever you wish. Good evening."

The judge shut his car door, took a deep breath, and started the car. He drove out of the municipal parking lot, keeping his eye on the father of Greg Diamond. He had instantly been sorry once the first part of the money had exchanged hands, before the trial. It wasn't something he had done before, and it made him very nervous. He had let Gerald Diamond's son off the hook pretty easy, but not easy enough really to detect any wrongdoing on his part. After feeling semi-guilty about the whole thing, the Ellie Sattler mace incident in court was a justified means to an end, as far as he was concerned.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellie entered the trailer, immediately hunting for Alan. She found him in the small kitchen, getting some iced tea. She noticed a stack of papers in one hand, as he turned and spotted her standing in the doorway.

"Did the party die down?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said, walking closer, "What do you have there in your hand?"

"Another paper for John Hammond. I just finished it."

"Good. I'll type it up for you tomorrow."

"Thanks," he said, as he took a sip of the tea.

"So, when did you sneak away anyway?" Ellie asked.

"About fifteen minutes ago," he said, laughing, clearly proud of himself.

"Didn't feel like doing the whole alcohol thing, I take it?"

"No, not really. I'm already depressed, so I don't think that would help much."

The trial had really taken a lot of out Alan. He actually felt exhausted, like he had just been through a vigorous exercising routine. He was glad that it had finally ended, allowing him to get back to the normal life he was accustomed to. Ellie seemed to read his thoughts, as she made her way right in front of him now. She seductively removed the glass of iced tea out of his hand, and took a sip.

"I know a way to un-depress you," she offered.

Alan smiled, watching her lips carefully, as she drank from the glass.

"You do, eh?"

"Oh, yes, I have just the plan."

She reached past him and placed the glass on the sink, and then slowly brushed her hands over his shoulders and neck, coming in close to his ear.

"Rumor has it that you're smitten with me," she whispered.

"I don't think that's a rumor," he whispered back, slowly putting an arm around her waist and drawing her even closer to himself, "More like a fact." He tossed the papers on the small kitchen table. They missed and gently sailed to the floor.

"Well, that's what I was wondering actually," she teased, as she began to play with the back of his hair, "I was wondering if we could test out that theory."

"Absolutely," he said quickly, coming in for a kiss.

She wasted no time first untucking, and then unbuttoning his shirt as they continued to kiss. After a second they were staring into each other's eyes again.

"Let's get out of the kitchen, shall we?" She suggested, smiling.

"You read my mind," he whispered.

They quickly left the kitchen, heading toward the small bedroom. When they were almost there, the sound of the door opening echoed through the tiny hallway. Alan sighed deeply, as he unwrapped his arms from around her. She smiled.

"It's probably Rob, just being stupid," she suggested.

"I'll go get rid of him."

"Good idea," she said, still smiling at him in that tempting way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


He quickly made his way to the front of the trailer, partly buttoning up his shirt. Before he saw who it was, he was already talking.

"Okay, Rob . . . why don't you go back outs---" He stopped short as he saw Allison standing in front of him, with a few tears running down her cheek, "Allison . . . " he paused, looking closely at her, "Are you okay?"

Allison was quite surprised to see him standing there. She had seen Ellie go in there, but didn't realize that he was in there, too. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she backed up.

"I was looking for Ellie," she said, wiping the tears away, and faking a smile, "I'll talk to her later. No big deal really."

Alan stared at the distraught women, and for half of a second, he thought about taking her at her word and letting her leave. Obviously there was something wrong with her, though, so he pushed that thought away, as she began to head for the front door. He took a step towards her, gently grabbing her arm.

"You don't have to leave. It's okay. I'll go get her."

Allison had already made up her mind. She didn't want to be a burden and by looking at the way he was half way undressed, it was obvious that he and Ellie were trying to share a private moment.

"I'm just going to go," she said to his back, as he was already going to get Ellie. She waited for him to turn around and face her, before she continued, "I'm interrupting something here. My little problems can wait."

"Do me a favor and stay right there," he said, pointing at her, "I'm going to get her, and if you're not here when I get back, I'll more than likely get into some sort of trouble . . . so . . . stay," he said smiling.

He managed to make her smile, as well. Satisfied that she wouldn't leave, he went to get Ellie.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Allison, what is it?"

Allison looked up at her, tears streaming down her face. She did her best to wipe them away again, but it was very clear that she wasn't holding up well.

"I'm not sure where to start," she was finally able to say.

Alan cleared his throat, causing both women to look at him.

"I'm going to go outside, give you two a little privacy."

"It's okay," Allison sighed, looking at Alan, and then toward Ellie, "I'm just overly emotional, so don't take anything I say too seriously. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

Ellie took Allison by the hand.

"Come over here and sit down. Alan was just leaving," she said, as she lead Allison to the couch in the living area.

Alan stared, thinking about just how moments ago, he and Ellie were alone . . . and what that meant to the both of them. The moment was gone now, though, whooshed away by Allison. He wasn't exactly complaining . . . okay, yes he was complaining . . . but he kept those thoughts to himself, as he took Ellie's hint and left the trailer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Allison began to cry again, burying her face in her hands. A second later, she lifted her head and began to look angry instead of sad.

"I can't believe the hell he has put me through."

"I wish you would have told me. I just talked to you about a month ago, Allison. You could have told me something about it. I would have gotten on a plane and been there that same day."

"I know," Allison said, shaking her head, "I didn't have a clue where to start. And I didn't want to trouble you. You're needed here . . . Alan needs you here. My problems are just that, my problems."

"You know that isn't a healthy way to think, don't you?"

Allison looked at her, thinking intensely before answering.

"No, it's not healthy. I agree. That's why I finally decided to tell someone about what has been going on in my life."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Alan walked outside, and took a quick glance around at the people. There was quite a rowdy party going on and he only recognized about half of the people. There were two bonfires going, one of which was a little big in Alan's opinion. He walked over to the closest water tower and tried it, to make sure it wasn't dry. Water flowed from it, so he relaxed some and moved on. He didn't want to drink and be merry, so he headed over to the research trailer.

A few drunk people were singing and dancing near the smaller bonfire. Again, he had no idea who those people were.

"Damn tourists," he muttered.

When he was almost to the research trailer, he heard someone call his name. He knew immediately who it was. Frowning, he turned around to face the person behind the voice.

"Hi, Kara."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"When did you lose the baby?" Ellie asked. The way Allison had just blurted it out was shocking to her.

"About three months ago."

"What happened?"

"Mitch and I broke up a few months ago, after I told him I was pregnant."

"He left because of your pregnancy?"

"Mostly, yes. That and the fact that we had been doing nothing but fight."

"I'm so sorry, Allison."

Allison wasn't listening though, as she was still remembering all of the bad details in her head.

"He came to the house to get some more of his things, and we had another shouting match. One thing led to another, and I began to have terrible pains."

"Oh, my God."

"He called an ambulance, and then quickly left after it got there."

"That son of a bitch."

"I lost everything, in the span of an hour."

"Allison, you should have called me."

"I know, but that's over now, so try not to hold it against me, okay?"

"You know I'd never do that."

Allison began to cry again. Ellie leaned over and hugged her, letting Allison continue to cry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm kind of in a hurry, so I'll talk to you later," Alan said. It was lie, but he just didn't know how to act in front of Kara anymore, after the whole cave incident. For him, it was better to just pretend it didn't happen at all.

Kara reached out and grabbed his arm, as he began to walk up the steps to the research trailer.

"Please, wait. I was hoping to be able to talk to you."

Alan turned and came back to ground level.

"If this is about what I think it is, I'm not sure talking about it is a good idea."

"I think it could help. I've been here for a few weeks since then, and you keep avoiding me."

"That is how I decided to deal with it, I guess."

"That's not very mature."

Alan almost said exactly what he was thinking, _the thing you did to get us here in the first place, wasn't exactly mature_, but he stopped himself. From all the disagreements he had experienced with Ellie, he knew better than to upset a woman by now.

"I know," he said, sighing.

"So, let's try to act like adults now."

"Could we just forget about it?" If they never mentioned it again, he would be completely happy.

"I don't think that's healthy, Alan. We used to be able to talk to each other and goof around. I want that back," she said, knowing that she was losing the battle, so to speak. He was acting exactly the way she had feared.

"Well, that may take some time," he finally commented.

"I want to try to repair what I've done to our friendship. That's all I'm asking."

"Okay."

"It's true that I've always been very fond of you. But when I . . . kissed you, it was very spontaneous. I wasn't thinking at all. That kind of thing will ne---"

"You kissed Alan!?"

Shocked that someone else was talking, Alan and Kara both glanced toward the voice. It was Rob and he wasn't quite totally drunk yet, but he was very . . . happy. He stood there with his mouth agape, staring at his sister and friend.

"Rob, ever hear of a private conversation?" Alan asked, placing his hands on his hips and looking around for additional people within earshot. Rob was the only one, though.

Rob ignored him and walked up to his sister.

"Kara . . . you sly dog you. No wait . . . dogette! You sly dogette!" He followed this statement with the accompaniment of howling and barking noises. By his demeanor, he definitely fit in with the rowdy party crowd that Alan had passed by earlier.

Rob was about the last person that either of them wanted to find out about this confidential information. Alan took a good look at Kara, and how distraught she was looking. Just thinking about a half-drunken Rob running around and telling people, made him uneasy as well. He thought for a second, and then formulated a game plan.

"Rob, what do you think she said to me?"

Rob answered with making smooching noises with his lips, pretending to be in a passionate kiss with someone. Had it been under different circumstances, Alan probably would have found his behavior funny, but he needed to put a halt to it.

"Kissing? You thought she said kissing?"

Kara stared at Alan, not having a clue as to where this was going. Rob stopped smooching and did the same. Both of them staring at him in the exact same way, caused Alan to slightly smile, but then he got serious again.

"Kicking, Rob. She said kicking."

"Huh?" Rob asked, trying to concentrate on the words coming from his friend.

Kara folded her arms, watching this plan unfold, thinking that it just might work.

"I was mean to that little girl in the cave. Kara got mad and punched and kicked me."

Rob laughed.

"Way to go, sis!"

"Uh, thanks," Kara said, still sort of uncertain.

Alan briefly looked at Kara, smiling, and then walked closer to Rob.

"Come on. I think you've had enough fun for one night, my friend."

"Buddy. I'm your buddy, right?"

"Oh, yes. Buddies."

"I knew it!" Rob said, slapping Alan on the back really hard.

Kara cringed, as she could see that it had hurt Alan a little bit.

"Maybe you should get some food in your system," Alan suggested.

"Oh, I already did that," Rob said, floating his arms around awkwardly, "I'm all set there."

"What did you eat?"

"Potato chips."

"Potato chips?" Alan repeated.

"It's one of the four basic food groups," he said, bouncing four fingers in the air.

"No, it's not, you idiot," Kara said, rolling her eyes and laughing.

Rob clearly looked hurt by her words. Alan tried to persuade him to keep moving, though, as he laughed with Kara.

"Of course it is. Come on, let's keep going," he said.

She watched him help her brother away from the research trailer, leaving her there by herself. To her happiness, it looked like Rob was having an independent streak, so Alan left him be. He lingered there for a minute, watching Rob walk toward his own trailer. After the drunk lunatic had gone inside, Alan turned and looked in Kara's direction. Seeing that she was still there, he lowered his head, sighed, and walked toward her.

"Close one," he said, when he approached her.

"Yeah," Kara said. She couldn't think of anything to add, making the moment uncomfortable once again.

"Kara, I think that if we just put this behind us, we'll be better off."

"Yeah."

"This is going to sound dumb . . . "

"What is?"

"I was oblivious to the fact that you," he paused, desperately searching for the right words, ". . . were interested."

"By your actions that day, and the days since then, I can see that."

"I wasn't steering clear from you to upset you. I just honestly had no idea how to deal with this."

"It's okay."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"Don't be. It was me who acted like a fool. I'm sorry."

"How about neither of us apologizes and we just get past it?"

"Okay."

Alan sighed with relief.

"Okay, then. Good."

"This is something I'm sure you never want Ellie to find out about, so I'll stop bringing it up and bothering you about it."

Just thinking about the look on Ellie's face if she found out made Alan very uneasy, much less how she would react after the information sank in. It was definitely something she never needed to know.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie cautiously looked over Allison, as she finally fell asleep on the couch. Placing a blanket over the exhausted woman, Ellie began to wonder why she hadn't realized that Allison was so distraught. She had been so happy to see her friend, that she simply hadn't noticed that she was having such a difficult time. She should have been able to figure it out and it angered her to think that she didn't see it coming at all. She would have to be a better friend in the future, that was for sure.

Glancing outside, Ellie looked around for any signs of Alan. He was nowhere to be seen, so she breathed in deeply and headed for the bedroom, hoping that he would find his way back soon.

  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	29. Chapter 29: Getting Through The Holiday

  


Chapter 29: Getting Through The Holidays

  


_September 5, 1992 - Saturday_

  


Rob pulled the car into Kara's driveway. He and Alan had driven her home and the long journey had finally ended. Rob turned the car off and turned to look into the backseat.

"Hey, we're here. Nap time is over!" He shouted.

Alan was startled awake. As he adjusted to what was going on, he spied Rob and Kara sitting in the front seats, staring at him. Rob was laughing and Kara was just smiling.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yeah, we made it," Alan said on the phone, yawning. "How's Allison?"

"She's doing much better," Ellie said, "I think she'll probably be leaving soon. Her next semester starts soon and she needs to get to California."

"We need to think about making travel plans, too. Colorado is waiting."

"I already did."

"I knew there was a good reason to keep you around."

Ellie laughed.

"That, and the fact that I make really good scrambled egg sandwiches," she added.

"Oh, yes, I forgot about those. Yes, that too," he said, looking around, "Well, I'm going to go. We're going to eat something really quick and then head back."

"Oh, and hey, I almost forgot. Richard called today, wanting to know how things were going, and to give us an update."

Richard had gotten called back to his job, a couple weeks before the trial had started. Since then, either Richard or Melissa would call every Saturday or Sunday to catch up on things.

"Did Melissa have the baby yet?"

"Nope. Not yet. Any day now," Ellie answered.

"No?"

Rob was standing by his sister in the kitchen. Overhearing the conversation, he invited himself into it.

"What? She still hasn't had that baby? Jesus, what is little Jodie waiting for? Christmas?"

Deciding to listen to what Ellie was saying, instead of what Rob was saying, Alan continued the phone conversation, "I would imagine the next few days will be nerve-racking for them."

He heard a strange sound coming from somewhere on Ellie's end. At first, it sounded like static, but suddenly he wasn't so sure. The noise repeated a few more times, and was drowned out by Rob's constant rambling. Alan gestured for him to be quiet, but Rob just waved him off. Ellie was quiet on the phone for several seconds, and then her voice was finally heard again.

"Oh, when you get back, I've got something to talk to you about."

"What is it? What was that noise?"

"When you get here, I'll tell you."

"Something bad?"

"No, not at all. I'll talk to you about it when you get home."

It was Alan's turn to be quiet. Then, after a heavy sigh, knowing that he would never get anything out of her over the phone, he conceded.

"Well, I'll talk to you later. Hopefully, in a few hours . . . in person."

"Okay. Be careful, Alan."

"I will."

"And don't let Rob talk you into stopping at every bar on the way."

Alan laughed, as he glanced over at Rob, who was now bugging Kara by playfully moving the frying pan around on the stove while she was trying to cook something.

"Yes, boss," he said.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Rob and Alan walked outside onto Kara's front porch. She had a nice little house. It was a few miles away from her father's mansion, so the two of them saw each other often. Rob was a little surprised that their father wasn't there to meet them when Kara arrived home, but his sister told him Rob Sr. was in a meeting and wouldn't be able to visit until later.

Rob looked at Alan.

"I drove the last one hundred miles, so you get to drive first now."

"Sure," Alan said, nodding and catching the keys Rob threw his way.

Rob turned toward his sister.

"You take care of yourself, sis. I don't want to get another one of those horrible phone calls."

"I will."

"Ever . . . never . . . again, okay?"

Kara sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Rob," she said softly.

"You almost gave poor Alan a heart attack," Rob joked, trying to make the mood a little lighter.

Kara and Alan exchanged looks, and then they both looked at Rob, who was looking at them like he knew something more than he was letting on. He clapped his hands together and slapped Alan on the back.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road," Rob announced.

He took a step toward his sister and embraced her, and then gave her a quick kiss and hopped happily down the stairs and toward the car, leaving Alan on the porch with Kara.

"Good bye," Alan said, uneasily, as he began to back away toward the steps.

Kara took a step toward him and unexpectedly hugged him. He returned the embrace and felt her grip grow tighter. She kissed his cheek, and then let him go.

"Thanks for everything, Alan. You've been a really good friend to me."

"Same here," he said, smiling at her. "Take care of yourself, Kara," he added.

She nodded and faintly smiled as he turned and descended the few stairs toward the car. She watched him closely, as he got into the car, and then as he started it and backed up. When the car was in the street, she waved toward Rob and Alan. They waved back and she watched Rob lean over and beep the car horn, causing her to laugh some. The car disappeared down the street, leaving Kara by herself.

  
  
  
  
  


"It's too bad," Rob said out of the blue.

"What is?"

"About you and Kara."

Alan found that to be a very strange thing to say. He continued to drive, stirring in an unsettling manner, trying to think of some way to change the subject. He couldn't think of a thing.

"What are you talking about?" Alan finally asked, deciding to just get the conversation started, so it could quickly end.

"You and Kara. The cave. The little intimate moment."

Alan kept his eyes on the road, trying to ignore what his friend was saying. Rob waited patiently for him to react, but when he didn't, he continued.

"Alan, she's had a crush on you for a long time. It was just a matter of time before she acted on it."

"How much do you know about this?"

"Enough. That night I overheard you two talking about it, was all I needed to know." Rob noticed the questionable look on Alan's face and continued, "I was drunk . . . but not that drunk, you idiot."

Alan laughed.

"Well, it's in the past now, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone."

"You mean not to tell Ellie."

"Yes, Rob."

"I would fear for my sister if Ellie found out about it," Rob said, kind of joking, but knowing that he was kind of right at the same time.

"I think this whole thing has been over-exaggerated by now."

"Alan, you were kissed by a beautiful and intelligent woman. I think Ellie would take that badly."

"If it were presented in the right way, it could work out."

"Oh, so you would downplay the whole beautiful and intelligent part?"

"I don't know."

"So, what you're saying is . . . you don't find my sister attractive?"

"Your sister is a very beautiful and intelligent woman," Alan admitted, "But . . . can we just stop talking about this?"

"You know, if you had dated my sister, we couldn't be friends anymore," Rob stated, totally ignoring Alan's plea to end the discussion.

"Why is that?" Alan asked, re-interested in the conversation.

"Because, as a man, I know that you . . . as a fellow man . . . would do something really stupid, causing my sister to dump you. Then, I would have to disassociate myself from you . . . because you were stupid."

"That doesn't make a lot of sense."

"I know, but it was fun to call you stupid twice in the same sentence."

Alan was about to say something, when Rob suddenly clapped his hands together, acting like he just figured out the mysteries of the world.

"What now? Need a potty break?"

"Funny," Rob said, "Actually, I just made a major breakthrough in regards to you and my sister."

"Could you keep it to yourself?"

"Oh, no, you don't. This is too good," Rob said, sitting up straighter, "Okay, look. Your life parallels what happened on All My Children a few months ago."

Alan rolled his eyes.

"No, no. No eye rolling! I'm being serious."

"I know you are and that's what is frightening," Alan said, laughing.

"It's just like Erica, Jack and Jack's brother Travis."

Alan turned the radio up, but then Rob turned it right back down.

"Travis found Erica in bed with Jack!"

"How does that resemble what's going on in my life?"

"Shut up, I'm getting to that."

Alan stared at him, and then went back to watching the road.

"Anyway! Travis was this nice good guy, with morals. Guess what happened to him?"

"He lived happily ever after?"

"Are you crazy? That never happens on soaps!"

"How stupid of me."

"He dies Alan! Travis dies! The good and nice, understanding guy . . . is murdered!"

Alan was about to ask him to shut up, when Rob became animated and started to point toward the side of the road.

"Look!" He shouted, gesturing toward a bar that was getting closer, "The Iron Well! Let's stop and get a drink."

Alan looked at the bar closely.

"Uh, I'm thinking no."

"Why no?" Rob asked, smacking the dashboard.

"I really want to get home, Rob."

"You are such a bore!"

"And you are such a bad influence on me," Alan added.

"Yeah. But! You need that in life, because you're . . . well, dull. No fun. None whatsoever. You workaholic nut."

"Hey, I agreed to drive Kara home with you. That counts for something."

"No, it doesn't. You only did that because the one in charge of your relationship, told you to."

"No, she didn't," Alan challenged.

"Well, yeah . . . I know. But who cares really?"

"I think you need someone of the female persuasion to occupy some of your time," Alan suggested, "Maybe you would settle down a little bit that way."

The car drove past the Iron Well.

"Good-bye fun, happiness, and drunkenness!" Rob shouted, paying very little attention to Alan's comments. He turned to look back at the bar, and then glanced toward Alan, who was shaking his head while driving, "Hello, boring dinosaur fossils and tourists!"

Alan slowed down some. He did hate the tourists, that was for sure.

"Ha! See? We could go back, have a few drinks, kick back, relax and then continue onwards, home to the tourists. What do ya say?"

"Yeah, okay," Alan said, turning the car around.

"Yes! Finally, Alan Grant is acting like an honest-to-God American! You've become one of us, after all these years! I'm proud of you!"

"Do me a favor," Alan said, as he pulled into the bar parking lot.

"Anything," Rob said, keeping a keen eye on the lot and some of the beautiful women hanging around.

"Stop talking to me."

"Whatever," he said, frowning at Alan.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


It had been dark for a few hours now, when Alan quietly walked into his house in Glasgow. He was immediately greeted with a loud squawking noise, coming from somewhere in a different room.

"Hello?"

"Hello . . . how are you," a strange voice said from the other room.

"What the . . . ?" Alan began to say, as he followed the voice, "Ellie?"

"In here, Alan," Ellie's voice was heard.

His searching brought him to the master bedroom. They had refinished it, turning it into an office of sorts. Much to his dismay, Ellie had put one of those annoying computers in there, as well, and she would spend hours typing different papers and organizing her thoughts in their new office. There was also some furniture . . . a couch, an end table, and a comfy chair . . . as well as a desk and a filing cabinet. A television was set up in the corner.

He walked into the office, and saw a parrot's cage sitting in the room. Inside the cage, a parrot, squawking and talking, as Alan became visible in the doorway.

"Hello," it said.

"Hello," Alan answered, an automatic response when someone is greeted. Then he frowned, as he realized what he did. He looked from the parrot, to Ellie. "What is this?"

"Oh, this is what I needed to talk to you about."

"It's looking like you're telling me, was an afterthought," he said, frowning at the parrot again.

"Remember Margaret?" She asked cheerfully, ignoring his comment.

"Who?"

"Margaret."

Upon hearing Margaret's name, the parrot went into some unidentifiable song about her, singing cheerfully, whistling and squawking afterwards.

"No," Alan said, looking at the bird.

"She saved your life in her field." Alan looked puzzled. He wasn't following, and it was starting to annoy Ellie. "You. Broken leg. Field. Nice lady who found you. Ring a bell?"

"Oh, of course. Margaret." He hadn't remembered her name. It was an honest mistake considering his condition at the time.

"Yes, Margaret," Ellie repeated.

"Margaret, pretty gal," the bird said, and then it whistled.

Alan was still confused.

"What about her?"

"Are you really that dumb? Cause the man I fell in love with was a highly intelligent scientist. If this is who you are now, I'm going to have to end this relationship," Ellie commented.

Alan looked at her, half smiling. He decided to turn his amused expression away from her, in an attempt to figure out what it was she was trying to say. _Why can't women just come out and say what the hell they want to say?_

"So, this . . . bird . . . it's Margaret's?" He finally asked.

"Give the man a prize," she answered in a pleasant way.

He was glad to see she was smiling now, so he thought it safe to continue the questions.

"Why do you have this thing?"

"This _thing_ has a name. His name is Jack."

"Fair enough," he said, walking over to Jack. "Hey, Jack, why are you in this house?"

Ellie laughed.

"Jack is here because Margaret asked us if we would bird-sit for a week."

"Bird-sit?"

"Yes."

"I take it you said yes?"

"Did you hit your head today?" Ellie asked.

"Very funny," he said, smiling.

"Bird sit," Jack repeated.

Alan looked at the bird in an odd way, "Actually, I was thinking that we are leaving for Colorado next week. So, why agree to this?"

"She'll be picking him up before we leave."

"You hope," Alan said, frowning again.

"It'll be fun having him here, so relax. And besides, he's cute."

"I'm cute as the day is long," Jack said prominently.

After staring at Jack for several seconds, mostly making sure he wouldn't be interrupted again, he finally said, "It talks a lot."

"He'll repeat whatever you say. He's really kind of cool. Watch," she said, as she put her face really close to the cage.

"Hello, Jack."

"Hello, Jack," Jack repeated.

Ellie smiled, and then glanced at Alan, "We've been practicing this one for a while," she looked back at Jack, "Alan."

"Alan. Squawwk."

"Interesting," Alan said.

"Yes, I would like a biscuit," Jack said.

Alan held a finger up to Jack's cage, rattling it slightly. The bird rushed toward his finger and tried its hardiest to bite him. He backed away quickly, glaring at the bird. Ellie laughed at the look on his face.

"So, where's Rob?"

"Oh, I dropped him off at his house. After long periods of time, he tends to give me a headache."

"You guys went to the bar, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Alan, drinking and driving is stupid."

"I had one drink, waited an hour, and then yanked Rob out of there."

"So, he was drunk again?" Ellie asked. Rob was drinking way too much as of late and it worried her.

"No, not really. He was talking with a group of women."

"Really?" Ellie asked, interested.

Alan smiled at her.

"Yeah. He's a real lady magnet. Just ask him, he'll tell you."

"He is a good looking guy," Ellie admitted. Jack began to sing 'Hey Good Looking, Whatcha Got Cooking', causing both of them to look his way. When Ellie's eyes drifted back to Alan, he was staring at her in a strange way, so she added, "Not as good looking as you, though. How's that?"

"That'll do," he said, smiling.

"So, does Kara have a nice house?"

"Yeah, it's pretty nice. Very neat and clean."

"Basically, the total opposite of her twin," Ellie observed, laughing.

"That's a fair assessment," Alan agreed.

She saw that he was in some sort of deep thought. "Something wrong?"

He had been thinking about just coming out and telling her about the whole Kara and cave thing. He had almost built up enough courage to blurt it out, but then he decided against it. In his mind, it wasn't a very big deal . . . what had happened . . . but Rob had gotten him thinking that Ellie might have taken the news in a total wrong way. He hated to have a secret, no matter how small he deemed it to be, but Rob's warnings were etched in his mind now, so he dropped it.

"No, nothing wrong," he said, smiling, "I'm just a little tired. The drive wore me out, that's all."

He watched her walk to Jack's cage, preparing to pull a sheet over the talkative bird.

"Good night, Jack," she said.

"Good night. Squawk."

She smiled and placed the white sheet over the cage and then walked back over to Alan.

"Well, come on . . . I'll tuck you in, too" she said, gently taking his arm, "I'm sure you and Jack will be good friends. You'll learn to love him."

"I'm sure."

Alan smiled at Ellie, frowned at Jack's cage, and then followed her out of the office.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Startled by a sudden noise, Ellie quickly sat up, trying to adjust to the darkness of the bedroom. It took her a few minutes to realize what the noise was. It was the phone. She reached for it, as she glanced at the clock. It was 3:03am.

"Hello?"

Alan was awake by now, too. He had been sleeping on his side, so he turned toward her, listening.

"That's great, Richard," she said excitedly.

Alan smiled in the darkness. His eyes were adjusted enough to where he could see Ellie now. She handed the phone to him.

"Richard," he said softly.

"It's a girl!"

Alan sat up in the bed now.

"Congratulations, Richard," he said in a happy way.

"Thanks!" Richard yelled into the phone. Then there was a pause, as someone was talking to him. "Hey, Alan. I've got to go. The doctor is asking for me."

"Okay. Take care and give Melissa and the new baby my love."

"I will. Bye!"

There was a click and then a dial tone, so Alan reached over Ellie and hung up the phone. As quick as it had begun with the phone ringing, it was now over. Quietness enveloped their bedroom.

"That girl is going to be a night owl," Ellie joked, killing the silence.

Alan had already laid back down and closed his eyes when she had spoken.

"Yeah," he said softly, laughing.

  
  


_November 13, 1992 - Friday_

  


_About 9 weeks later_...

  


Taking care of some last minute details before the weekend, Alan turned the light switch off in his office and walked into the hallway of the university. His evening classes had concluded a little bit ago, so he was just killing time, waiting for Ellie.

He quickly glanced into some of the classrooms, as he passed them, making his way to the building exit. While looking away from where he was walking, he bumped into another professor.

"Oh, sorry about that," he said, looking toward the man he had run into. It was Dr. Thomas Valner. "Leaving so early?" He asked, as he readjusted the few folders under his arm.

"Yes, a little early, I'm afraid. I've been sick since the beginning of the week, so I cut my last class a little short."

"Ellie told me about your being sick. I hope you get well soon, sir."

"As do I," Valner said. He looked at his ex-son-in-law and smiled, "Alan, you don't have to tack 'sir' at the end of every other sentence. It's not entirely necessary."

Alan smiled, slightly embarrassed by the situation. He had thought he'd broken himself of that habit, but obviously not.

"I'll take that into consideration . . . Tom."

"So, I hear you and Ellie are going away for the weekend?"

"Did she post a banner somewhere? Everyone seems to know that," he said in a complaining manner.

"You didn't see the banner? It's very colorful and prominent amidst the boring trivial advertisements on the bulletin board."

Alan stared at him.

"I'm kidding, of course," Valner added, smiling.

"Of course."

Suspecting the conversation was going about as far as a snail trapped under a bucket, Valner changed gears.

"Ellie is a wonderful teacher. I can't begin to express how happy I am with her knowledge and the professional way she conveys that knowledge to the students."

"She is pretty wonderful, I agree," Alan said, smiling at last.

"And she's a publishing maniac!" Valner exclaimed, laughing.

"I know! She's published, what? Two papers already?" Alan asked.

"Yes. Two, and then I believe there's a third on the way shortly," Valner answered.

Alan frowned, "She loves those damn computers. She types into the wee hours of the morning sometimes."

Valner became slightly uncomfortable listening to the man, who had pledged himself to his daughter, speak of another woman, but it quickly faded away. It was pointless to think of that sort of thing, and now he could tell that Alan was realizing that he had been uncomfortable.

"It's good to see you happy."

"Thank you again, Tom."

"Well, I need to get home and get some rest. My weary bones are threatening to conspire against me and take me down."

Alan laughed.

"Take care of yourself, Tom. Exams are next week and I'm sure the students would be sad if they had to have someone else hand out the test papers."

"Good point, my boy. I wouldn't want to miss the chance to make them sweat, so I'll be sure to get better," he said, smiling in a wicked sort of way.

"Good night," Alan said, shaking his head.

"Good night. Oh, and hey! You better get moving on your own research. She's already one published paper ahead of you this year . . . soon to be two," Valner teased.

"I know, I know," Alan said, waving him off and sighing.

He watched his mentor walk out into the cold, rushing away from the building. Moments later he followed, going in the opposite direction, briskly walking toward the Seeley G. Mudd Building, where Ellie was teaching an evening class. It was an uncomfortably cold November evening and he had made the conscious decision to put on an extra sweatshirt under his winter coat, as well as donning his favorite accessory . . . the beaten up fedora. His breath showing up in the air, he shivered and quickly opened the door to the three-story building. He would usually wait for Ellie in his office in the other building, but he had finished his duties there, so he had decided to walk next door and wait for her there. He glanced at his watch. He had another fifteen to twenty minutes to wait, so it wasn't that bad. He went into the faculty office and grabbed some coffee to warm him up, and then walked toward her classroom. As he rounded the corner, he could hear her talking. Making it to the door, he could see why. The door was partially open. He moved to the side and listened in on the end of a discussion she was having with the students, reviewing for the upcoming final exam.

"As you know, there are four nitrogen bases that are found in DNA: adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. Adenine and guanine are purines . . . they are two-ring structures. Thymine and cytosine are pyrimidines . . . they are single-ring structures. You don't need to know the detailed structures of the bases for the exam, although it wouldn't hurt you, but do remember their general character. One ring or two."

After a quick and friendly dismissal, the students began to file out of the classroom, a lot of them nodding at Alan as they walked past. He was well known at the University, but only a few of them looked familiar to him, since they were all in basic undergrad classes. Most of them hadn't made their way to having him as a professor yet, but he had given several lectures where anyone could attend, so that was how he had met some of them.

The last few kids hurried out, leaving Ellie alone in the room. Smiling, Alan quietly walked in and watched her gather her things. He glanced at the chalkboard where there were various diagrams of letters. The letters represented the four bases of DNA and under each diagram was the corresponding name; _adenine (A), cytosine ©), guanine (G), and thymine (T)_. He nodded to himself, impressed with her skills at drawing.

She still hadn't seen him yet, her back to him. She grabbed her coat, spun around and stifled a scream, as she saw an unexpected visitor.

Alan laughed and watched her look around, making sure no one else was around.

"You scared the shit out of me," she said in a nervous tone.

"Why is that? Are you up to no good? Only people who are up to no good get that shocked at trivial things."

Ellie rolled her eyes as she put her coat on. Ignoring his comment completely, she said, "How bad is it out there?"

"Very cold. You better bundle up."

She nodded, grabbed her back pack of books, and a small case.

"What's that?" Alan asked, taking her pack from her.

"Oh, this morning, I went to the eye doctor again. He wrote me a prescription and I picked up some glasses this afternoon." She took them out of the case and put them on. "What do you think?"

"Very sexy."

"You think?"

"It's hard to think right now."

She pushed him.

"Oh, shut up. Men are so predictable."

"Fine. I'm shutting up."

She glanced at him and, at the same time, they both smiled. She walked closer to him and kissed him.

"So, when does our weekend retreat/vacation begin?"

"Right now."

"Already?"

"Yeah. I've got everything in the car. We just need to drive to the cabin."

"Excellent. You are such a prepared guy."

He held the classroom door open for her, and then followed. At first, he smiled, as if to agree with what she just said, but then he laughed.

"That's not entirely true. If it wasn't for Rob, I would have never even thought of this."

Ellie pretended to look shocked, and then she relented.

"Yeah, I know," she simply said.

"You know?"

"Yeah. It was my idea."

"Oh, really?"

"Pretty much. I called Rob to ask him something, and then we got to talking about how you never take a break."

"Talking behind my back again."

"And then," Ellie said, paying little attention to the negativity in his last comment, "I asked Rob to plant the idea in your head. So, he did."

"Indeed."

"He's a great guy."

"He's controlling my life from two states away," Alan observed.

"Everyone should have a friend like him."

"Yeah, I know. He's definitely different."

A thought suddenly occurred to Ellie. She had never really found out how Rob and Alan became so close. Basically, in all reality, they were complete opposite personalties, so she wanted to know how the friendship came about.

"How did you two become friends anyway?"

By this time, they were downstairs and preparing to brave the winter elements. Alan had his hand on the push bar attached to the door, when Ellie asked her question. He took pressure off the bar and turned to her to explain the strange way that he and Rob had met.

"Years ago, he was a volunteer at a dig site where I was working. At that time, I was an Assistant Professor, with about four summers of dig site experience. I was interested in running my own dig site, so I had gone to Montana to check out the prospects there."

"Sounds like you had a grand plan."

"Yeah," Alan answered, and then continued, "Anyway, there was this guy who had somehow used the bonding glue on his shoes, causing him to basically get stuck to the fossil that he was trying to protect."

"Let me guess. Rob."

"Rob would be the correct answer."

"What a doofus."

"It was quite hilarious actually. He was stuck there, in the Montana afternoon heat, for a few hours," Alan said, shaking his head at the remembrance.

"He couldn't just step out of his shoes?"

"He had managed to glue his feet into his shoes. Something about not paying attention as giant globs of the bonding glue fell. That would have been fine, except for the fact that he had used a spray applicator to quicken the bond. Only seconds had gone by before he realized he couldn't walk anywhere."

Ellie was laughing pretty hard now.

"He was seriously thinking about just pulling his foot out, but that would have damaged the fossil."

"And would have gotten him in serious trouble, I presume," she added, wiping a few tears away, as she tried to slow her laughter.

Alan continued the story.

"The best part was that it seemed the debonder solvent was out of stock at the site. They had to borrow some from a nearby college, so it took longer than it should have."

"I guess he learned his lesson."

"Yeah, I think he did," Alan said. Then he remembered something else humorous, "When they were talking about cutting him out of his shoes, the look on his face was priceless. To this day, I don't think he really messes with the bonding glue."

Ellie finally stopped laughing long enough to verbalize a question.

"So that's how you met him?"

"Yep. I stayed there, talking to him for the hour or two he was stuck."

"Very nice of you."

"I had even provided something for us to sit on," Alan said, laughing at the memory. "Two empty beer kegs."

"What a friend!" Ellie said, as she continued to laugh.

"We instantly hit it off as friends. The guy makes me laugh, and has done so ever since. But, he's a really smart person, too . . . with the exception of the bonding glue mishap," Alan joked, "He just chooses not to show it to people."

"I've noticed he's intelligent. I wonder why he doesn't pursue college."

"I don't know. I've tried to get him to go back to college. He was a student at some local college in Montana when I first met him, but he quit soon after that."

"Well, maybe I'll make it my mission in life to get him to return to college," Ellie said, as she opened the door going outside.

"Good luck," Alan commented.

They quickly ran through the biting cold, which seemed to take forever, and then finally made it to the car. They were on their way to a relaxing weekend in the mountains. The university had been built very well, geographically speaking. It was about ten miles away from the city, and about fifteen miles away from the mountains in the other direction. With only the final exams to go in the upcoming week, it was the perfect time to get away from it all. Soon, they would be back in Montana for the holidays and that always seemed to move at a quick pace, so Ellie was really longing for even the smallest attempt at relaxing with only Alan around to distract her.

_December 25, 1992 - Friday_

  


"Yes, mum. I know. Yes, I won't, so don't worry," Alan said into the phone. He glanced at Ellie, who was smiling at him, "Yes, I will promise to eat right and take care of myself," he said into the phone again.

"Isn't that sweet? Worrying about her little boy," Ellie teased.

Alan smiled, and continued to talk to his mother in Australia.

"Yeah, that was Ellie," he said, and then after a pause, "Yes, I'm taking good care of her, too."

"Yes, your son is delightful," she said, loud enough for Alan's mother to hear.

Alan quickly said his "I love you's" and then removed the phone from his ear, extending it to her.

"She doesn't believe me. She wants to hear it from you directly, I guess."

"Isn't that cute?" Ellie said, taking the phone from him.

His parents really liked her, which made things very easy. She hadn't met them yet, but he had hoped to take her to Australia some day in the near future, so that his folks could meet the woman he loved. He listened intently to Ellie's side of the conversation.

"Yes, I got the chocolates. They were adorable!" Ellie said, laughing, thinking of the cute little solid chocolate Koala Bears that his parents had sent a few weeks ago.

Alan rolled his eyes, and decided that not hearing more of this particular conversation would, indeed, be a better idea. He leaned in quickly, kissed Ellie on the cheek, and then headed out of the kitchen.

The conversation continued its jovial exchanges, and then near the end became quite serious.

"Oh, really? When? No, he didn't tell me," she said softly, placing a hand over her mouth suggesting she had just received bad news.

Alan had stepped back in the kitchen without her knowing.

"What did I do now?" He asked.

She wasn't expecting him to hear what was being said, but she decided to tell him anyway. She eyed Alan in a saddened way.

"Something happen?" Alan asked, getting a little worried now.

She shook her head no, and then quickly and politely ended the conversation with his mother, promising to call her back later. She turned to hang up the phone, and then taking a deep breath, she looked at him.

"You didn't tell me that your wedding anniversary was coming up."

His disposition suddenly became sullen, as he fell completely silent. She could see the instant hurt in his eyes, and then he lowered his head. Her first instinct was to care for him, so she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I'm fine with that."

His eyes were watering a bit, as he embraced her. She hadn't expected that, but it was a welcome change from the other times Kathryn's name had come up. Usually, he would just alienate himself from the people who cared about him, leaving all the pain inside to torture him.

"Alan," she said softly, still holding him, "I can't try to help you if you don't clue me in."

"It's on December 27th," he said, finally breaking their embrace, "A nice little after-Christmas wedding."

There was a tear slowly going down his cheek. Ellie reached in, gently dissolving it with her fingers. Leaving her hand on his face, she whispered to him.

"I want to help you through this, if you'll let me."

It all made sense now. His odd behavior from last year, just after Christmas. He had been very quiet and distant and didn't come back around until Rob's New Year's Eve party. She had wanted to find out what had been bothering him, but after two attempts to do so, she had given up.

"I'm not sure I need help," he said, taking her hand in his. "It does get easier every year."

"Well, I'm here for you. Just know that, okay?"

"I do know that," he said, clasping her hand a little tighter. "And I love you dearly for it."

"I love you, too," she said, ready to cry herself now.

She coaxed him to the kitchen table. They both sat down, looking into each other's eyes, Alan still clutching her hand.

"I have a hard time talking about this with people, Ellie. That's all. I don't want you to feel like it's something you've done. It's not you at all. It's me."

"What affects you, affects me, Alan. You've got to know that by now."

"When I think about Kathryn's memory fading even the slightest, I feel like I'm betraying her."

"I understand that."

". . . and then I feel like I'm not being fair to you," he added.

"Please, Alan, don't ever think that. I would never ask you to forget your past, just like you wouldn't ask me to forget mine."

"I need a drink," he said, joking and breathing in heavily.

"It's the afternoon. You sure that's a good idea?"

He laughed, "You have a valid point. I'll have some milk. Is that okay with you?" He said, smiling.

Relieved that the mood was swinging back to the happy side, Ellie nodded and gently kissed him. As they were sharing a tender moment, Rob Tandy walked into the house, unannounced.

"Woah. You two are really into all that kinky stuff, aren't you? They make bedrooms for this type of thing."

Ellie pulled herself away from Alan and gave Rob a look that told him to shut up.

"PMS?" Rob asked, walking backwards toward the door purely as an act of self defense.

Alan stood up and shook his head.

"You certainly are a dumb person," he observed.

"I was joking!" Rob said, holding up his arms, "Joking. A little joke."

Ellie had stood up by now, too, and was just staring at him.

"Rob-humor. You can't kill the person who is spreading Rob-humor around the world," he said, flashing a giant smile.

Ellie shook her head and went to the refrigerator. Rob carefully walked toward Alan, keeping his eye on her.

"So, Merry Christmas to my two very best friends!" He proclaimed.

"Merry Christmas, Rob," Ellie said, showing Rob that she wasn't mad.

She set a glass of milk next to Alan, while taking a drink from her own glass. He thanked her with a nod, and then looked at Rob.

"So, how are things?"

"Pretty damn good, actually," Rob answered. "I talked to Kara this morning . . . and the old man."

"Really?" Ellie asked, truly surprised.

"Yeah," Rob said, just as amazed as she was, "Can you believe it?"

"It's good to see that you're finally talking to your father," Alan said.

"So true. But, I don't think I'll invite him to my New Year's Eve party just yet."

"I think he'd need to have a lot more time to prepare for that fiasco," Ellie commented.

"Fiasco?" Rob asked, "That hurts, Ellie. You're mean."

"Mean . . . but truthful," Alan added.

"That's not the point, my friend," Rob countered.

Looking at Alan and Rob suddenly gave Ellie an idea.

"Why don't we all go away for the next few days. A little road trip," she suggested.

"Where to?" Rob quickly asked.

"Maybe the Museum of the Rockies. It could be fun."

She hoped Alan would go. It would help him get his mind off Kathryn just a little bit, being away from the house and dig site on the day of his anniversary.

"More like boring," Rob joked.

"Yeah, maybe," Alan said, ignoring the boring comment, "But I think Rob works tomorrow."

Rob stared at them, as they were both looking at him, waiting for a response.

"I'm not doing anything tomorrow," he said.

"Why not?" Alan asked, suspicious.

"No job can hold me down," Rob announced proudly, "I'm tired of getting pushed around by bar owners with attitudes. Sick of it, I tell ya. If I were the angry type, people would have to worry."

"You got fired again, didn't you?" Alan asked directly.

"Yeah. On Wednesday."

Alan snickered, "What for this time?"

"Apparently, they don't like it when the bartender joins the patrons in having an inoffensive simple drink or two," Rob said, frowning.

"Rob!" Ellie scolded.

"What?" Rob asked, shrugging his shoulders innocently, "They can't really think that I could stand there and listen to a bunch of drunk people complain about their problems, without being a little snookered myself."

Alan was no where near as shocked as Ellie was.

"So, when do you start again?" He asked, taking a drink of his milk.

"Monday."

"Oh, good lord," Ellie commented softly.

Alan clapped his hands together, "Well, that gives us two days of fun in Bozeman," he said.

  
  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha


	30. Chapter 30: Sometimes I Wake Up Grumpy

  


Chapter 30: Sometimes I Wake Up Grumpy; Other Times I Let Him Sleep

  


_June 24, 1993 - Thursday_

  


Glancing to his left, Alan could see Ellie talking with Brian about the additional equipment that was just delivered. Brian . . . and his two wonderful children . . . had been at the dig site for the past three days. Brian had promised that today his computer contraption would work, but so far it had produced the same results as the days before. That is to say, not a thing. The promise of being able to take underground images without digging was fading fast. Either the explosives misfired, or the computer screen malfunctioned, or Brian's assistants would disagree about something, causing frequent pauses in the process. And when, by pure luck, the thing would work properly, the location picked was unsatisfactory, so there was nothing to see anyway.

From where he was standing, Alan could hear something about Brian waiting for one more part to arrive. He didn't want to get involved in that whole thing in any way, so he drifted off to his right, walking in the direction of the newest carnivorous discovery . . . a partial Tyrannosaur skull.

Two major discoveries had been made this summer, so far. The aforementioned rex skull, and the more incredible find in Alan's opinion . . . a Dromaeosaurid, which was a subgroup of the group Coelurosauria. These small dinosaurs were intelligent, large-eyed, fast, and bipedal. Very efficient killers. They were also closely related to birds, and that fact alone had motivated Alan to do an abundant amount of research pertaining to them. After years of researching and submitting reports, he was now considered an expert on the subject.

Naturally, he really wanted to concentrate on protecting the raptor, but the rex was only in the early securing stage, so he knew he needed to focus on that first. The raptor would get his attention soon enough.

"Alan!"

He stopped, knowing that he was spotted, readjusting his backpack. It was Ellie's voice. If it had been any other voice, he probably would have ignored it and kept on going. Pulling his hat down farther, he slowly turned in a way that resembled someone who had been captured by the enemy.

"I'm busy . . . so, uh, I'm going to get going," he said, quickly turning around.

Ellie disagreed with his choice to depart. She reached for him, grabbing his arm, making him swing back toward her.

"Oh, no you don't," she said, squinting in the late morning sun.

"I'm not going over there," he said, pointing toward Brian, "I have nothing to contribute to this experiment gone wrong, okay? It's all you and Rob. Alan is happily over on the sideline." Ellie placed her hands on her hips, frowning at him. This didn't detour him. "Alan is very happy. Very. So, leave me alone."

"When did this talking about yourself in the third person become popular with you?"

"I don't know what you're referring to."

Ellie didn't relent just yet.

"How about this then. You're very crabby today, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm not crabby," he snapped. "I just don't want to deal with computers today."

"Well, if it helps, I wasn't going to ask you to go hold Brian's hand."

"No, that doesn't help."

"I'll just get to the point," she said, frowning at him again, "You had a phone call. From a Bob Morris."

"Who is Bob Morris?"

"How should I know?" She quickly answered. Alan glared at her, so she decided to supply him with what little information she possessed. "All I know is that he wants to meet with you and ask you some questions about John Hammond."

"Hammond?" He repeated.

"Yeah."

"Oh, great."

"What do you mean?"

"Hammond's probably sending some guy to tell me the funding is being cut."

"You don't think he'd come and tell you himself?"

"No. I've never met the man."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Alan said. Thinking more about it, though, he realized that it was quite odd.

"The man gives you thirty thousand a year and you've never met him?" Ellie asked, echoing his own thoughts.

"I've talked to him on the phone a lot. And it's fifty thousand a year now," he added.

"That's a little more than weird."

"He's very eccentric . . . keeps to himself quite a bit."

"Fair enough," she commented.

"Okay, so I'll call this guy back later," he said, changing the subject, "I'm going to head out now."

"You don't think you should call him now?"

"No."

"Why not?" Ellie asked, knowing that she was probably pushing it.

"Because I don't want to."

Ellie shook her head, "You really are in a bad mood today, aren't you?"

"My mood is fine. Nothing is wrong with me," he answered. She was still staring at him, so he knew that he was expected to say more. Sighing, he said, "It's hot. I might be getting a cold. There are kids everywhere, threatening to disturb various fossils beds, and then there's that damn computer over there. The computer, if I may add, that isn't working at all. I'm just tired and want to be away from all of this nonsense."

"Fine. Just go, you baby."

"Thank you."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


He walked away, choosing not to look back at her, as he knew she wasn't happy. He didn't care. He wasn't going to get involved in the whole computer thing and he had told her as much, so if she didn't like it, too bad. Of course, he would never intentionally hurt her feelings, so he kept the more negative thoughts to himself, allowing just the surface of them to make their way to her vocally.

Twenty minutes later, he reached his destination. He was set on spending a few hours securing the rex skull, without having another care in the world. As he knelt in the dirt to get a closer look at the new find, he heard giggling coming from behind him. Children . . . giggling. Perturbed, he quickly turned his head to see if anyone was there. On any given day, there was least five or six kids running around the dig site, so he was fully prepared to see one of the little darlings spying on him. There was nothing but digging tools and a few students lingering nearby though, so he went back to working on the fossil before him.

"Whatcha doing?"

The sudden realization of someone being that close startled him, but he didn't let it show much. He looked up to see who it was, but was blinded by the sun, so he shielded his eyes. There, standing before him was a young boy, shuffling his feet uneasily with his hands in his pockets, staring at him. It was Brian's older child, who he remembered Ellie mentioning earlier was nine years old. For the life of him, he couldn't remember the little brat's name.

"I'm doing my job," he said sternly, standing up, "So, if you don't mind . . . why don't you go find somewhere else to play?"

"It's boring here," the boy said.

"I don't care. Just go away," he said, realizing just how bad his mood really was.

The boy . . . the same boy that lied to him about burying something last summer . . . ignored him.

"So, what kind of dinosaur is this?" He inquired, removing his hands from his pockets and swinging one of them toward the ground, pointing to the fossil.

Alan stared at him. Maybe if he explained what it was, the kid would take a hike.

"It's part of a Tyrannosaur skull."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really," Alan answered in a deadpan fashion.

The boy took a few steps forward, as if to touch the fossil with the bottom of his shoe. Alan put his arm in front of him.

"Please don't do that."

"You're not a very nice guy, mister."

"And you're not a very nice kid."

The argument between adult and child could have possibly lasted several minutes, but it was cut short by noise emitting from Alan's radio.

"Alan?"

Instantly recognizing the voice as Ellie's, he grabbed the radio from his belt, "Yeah?"

"Have you seen Cody?"

Alan stared at the boy next to him. That was his name. Cody. Cody, the little lying holy terror.

"Yeah, he's right here . . . bothering me," he answered, continuing to stare down the boy.

Cody stared right back, giving Alan an uneasy feeling. He was sure that if this kid could figure out how to kill him in his sleep . . . he would do so, with no remorse. He couldn't believe he was actually having thoughts about wishing that his little Indiana-Jones-fan sister had been there instead. He let that scary thought drift far away.

"Well," Ellie said through the radio, "Brian was looking for him. Lunch is ready."

"Okay, I'll tell him."

"Oh, and Alan?"

"Yeah?"

There was a brief pause.

". . . lunch is ready for you, too. So, you come back, too, okay?" He could hear the amusement in her voice now, "You can walk Cody back with you, so that he doesn't get lost."

"Sure," he relented.

He put the radio away and looked at Cody.

"Let's go eat."

"I'm not hungry," the boy complained.

"I'm not either, but if there's one thing you can learn . . . it's to never disobey a lady's request. So, come on."

"Fine," Cody said, sulking.

Alan began to walk with the kid, somewhat disappointed in himself for taking the time to talk to him like a normal human being. As far as he knew, that had never really happened before. Was he getting soft? Was he starting to like kids? _NO!_

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When he felt they were close enough, Alan told Cody good bye and watched the boy run toward some other kids that were playing nearby. He observed the children's behavior, much the same as a scientist would observe something completely mysterious. Some of the kids were kicking dirt at one another, some were spitting at each other, a few were dancing around in circles, while others were just drawing in the dirt. All of them were being loud in one way or another, and there was also an occasional clicking sound entering his ears. He briefly looked around for the source of the clicking, but found nothing more than that same bunch of kids playing and yelling. Shrugging, he moved on.

Wanting to get away from the unnecessary noise, he walked toward his trailer. He didn't get half way there, before he was bombarded with questions from various people. After answering about a dozen questions, he finally made it very close to his destination . . . only to be stopped one final time.

"Has your mood gotten any better?" Ellie asked, as she approached him.

He took a close look at her. Her face was slightly dirty and her hair was messy from the wind. She was absolutely beautiful to him. His bad mood was slowly being chipped away as he continued to look at her, a lopsided grin developing on his face.

She smiled at him, which made her even more beautiful in his eyes.

"I take it that's a yes?" She asked.

He nodded, his grin turning into a full-fledged smile.

"Sorry about earlier," he said softly, squinting in the sun.

She moved in and quickly hugged him. In the distance, he heard the clicking noise again, but ignored it this time.

"All is forgiven . . . as long as you're making dinner tonight," she added.

Squeezing her tight for a minute, not really wanting to let the moment pass, he finally took his hands from around her waist.

"I think I can handle that," he said, still smiling.

"So," Ellie began, "Where were you headed?"

"To get a drink," he admitted. "It's been a trying day."

"You're not going to eat?"

"Maybe later," he said. Smiling, he continued, "Alan is very tired."

"Aww," she said, "How about a back rub? Would that help?"

Without waiting for a reply, she moved behind him and began to rub his shoulders. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment.

"Yeah, that's pretty nice," he said softly.

Now that she had him in an approachable and somewhat happy mood, Ellie continued.

"I was wondering if you might want to go take a look at the Dromaeosaurid?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Carl seems to think it might be Velociraptor."

"Dr. Porter is a geologist. I don't think he really knows, just by looking."

"Well, you saw it. What do you think?"

"I think I need an aspirin and something to drink, okay?" He asked, his eyes still closed as she continued the impromptu massage.

"Okay."

"So, I'll see you in about an hour, maybe two. I want to rest for a little bit. I need to get out of the sun."

"Okay," she repeated, and then she added, "Want some company?"

She was still rubbing his shoulders and back and he knew exactly what she meant by that last statement. As tempting as that sounded, he opened his eyes and turned around to look at her.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I need some rest," he reluctantly answered.

She smiled.

"How about I walk you to the door then? Would that be all right?" She teased.

"Can you keep your hands to yourself for that long?" He teased right back, smiling coyly.

"Yeah, I think I can do that," she said, laughing.

"Because I know that you're always looking for ways to get me alone in that trailer."

"Well, yes . . . yes, that is true. But . . . "

"But what?" He asked, after she remained silent.

"I don't know," she said, laughing. She went back to the original question, "So, may I walk you to the door, or what?"

"Absolutely," he quickly answered, nodding his head once.

The clicking noise repeated, causing him to look around again. He couldn't figure out what it was and it was driving him crazy. Ellie noticed the confused look that had appeared on his face out of nowhere.

"What is it?"

"Click, click."

"Huh?"

"The clicking. Click, click. You don't hear it?"

Ellie humored him by listening for a second. The only noises she could hear were the normal sounds associated with the dig site.

"What clicking? I don't hear a thing."

Alan went from quizzical to annoyed.

"Well . . . I don't hear it right now . . . per say," he said, his brow creasing with confusion.

Ellie laughed, "Okay."

He could see that she was thinking he was crazy.

"The next time I hear it, I'll yell for you. Because, regardless of what you're thinking about my state of mind, I know I heard something."

"I think that resting is exactly what you need. Or maybe you should get your ears checked. When was your last checkup?"

"No, that's not it, you patronizing woman, you."

Ellie decided to refrain from further jeering.

"I'm going to check on Brian, see how he's doing."

Alan was looking around, not really listening to her. He was slowly spinning around now. She reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him from tracking the noise she hadn't even heard in the first place. She waited for him to look at her.

"I think you might need a vacation. Work, college, work, college . . . it's taking a toll on you."

"We've had a bunch of vacations."

"I think you need another one," she suggested, looking at him funny.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, laughing at his own actions. Suddenly, an idea came to him, "How about we go to Miles City this weekend?"

"Great," she answered. After a short pause, "Why?"

There was no reason for her to know about Miles City and he had totally forgotten about that. Smiling, he answered, "I like to go there to pick up supplies."

"Since when?"

"Since forever."

"This is the first I've heard of it."

"Well, last year Rob and I had gone when you went to visit your mother."

"Oh, I see."

"So, we can go there this weekend."

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until the weekend after maybe? I really didn't think it would be easy to get you away from this dig site, after all of the extraordinary finds this month," she pointed out.

"Next weekend is the Fourth of July weekend. Everything will be closed."

"Good point. Sounds good then."

"So, we'll leave Friday . . . if that's okay with you?"

She nodded, and then added, "Okay, well, I'm going to go find Brian."

"What for?"

It was at that moment that she was certain he hadn't been paying attention until the whole vacation thing had come up. He looked very tired and worn out, so she didn't get upset with him.

"I'm going to see how things are going with him," she answered, quickly kissing him on the lips.

"He needs someone to watch him, that's for sure," Alan commented, as she backed away.

"Oh, stop that," she said softly. "He's a nice guy. A nice guy who is having a hard time with some new technology. It's not his fault really."

"Then who's fault is it?"

"No one's fault. He'll get it working. I have faith." She stared at Alan for a moment, and then added, "And you should try to have a little faith, too."

"I have faith that his little demon kids are going to give me an ulcer," he said under in breath.

Ellie had already turned to walk away. She heard something about "demon" and "kids", so she turned around and came back to him, "What did you say?" She asked, her hands on her hips.

"I said, have fun."

Ellie rolled her eyes, unconsciously straightened out the collar on his shirt, and then began to walk away again.

"You're hopeless. You know that, don't you?" She asked over her shoulder.

The smile on his face answered the question, so she went on her way, shaking her head.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellie had almost made her way all the way to where Brian was, when she realized she had forgotten her glasses. Helping with the computer was useless without them, so she had run back to grab them from the trailer. Alan was fast asleep that quick. She smiled at him and quietly picked up her glasses and exited the trailer.

Softly cursing to herself for always forgetting her damn glasses, she made her way toward the last place she had seen Brian. He was still in the same place, tinkering with the machinery and computer alike. As she approached him, she could now see the technician's daughter was standing before him, jumping up and down in an angry fashion. Finally close enough to hear them, she could make out some of the choice words the six-year-old had for her father.

"I don't care! I don't want to!" She yelled.

Neither father nor daughter had noticed Ellie, until she spoke.

"Something wrong here?" She asked in a nice way.

Little Megan stopped her angry jumping and yelling at once, and looked at her.

"I want my camera back," she said in a saddened way. There were still a few tears streaming down her face.

Ellie looked up at Brian, "Where's her camera?"

He smiled slightly, knowing that if he was too happy, his daughter would have another tantrum.

"She doesn't understand that the camera is full. I need to take it to the local drugstore to get developed."

"Oh, I see," Ellie said, nodding.

"I gave her a new disposable camera, but she wants the old one back."

"The old one has special secret pictures on it, Daddy," Megan noted, in a way to tell her father that it was such an obvious reason.

Brian leaned down to be at his daughter's level.

"Honey, your secret pictures will be on their own pieces of paper when I get it back. So that you can keep them forever."

"I don't want them to be out of the camera!" Megan exclaimed, beginning her jumping again.

"Honey, Daddy will talk about this later, okay? It's time for lunch," Brian insisted.

Megan started to cry. She was hungry, but there were just more important things to worry about right now. She couldn't understand why her father couldn't see that.

By now, Ellie had leaned down, too. She adored children and the way they could make their tiny problems develop into giant problems an adult just couldn't ignore. It was another reminder that she really wanted children when the time was right.

"Megan, what kind of secret pictures were in the camera?"

Megan stopped jumping, which made her father sigh with relief. He knew that she was spoiled rotten, but being a single father wasn't easy and he was always trying too hard to give her everything her little heart desired.

"Dr. Grant," Megan answered in a whisper. To make sure her father couldn't hear what she was saying, she had cupped her little hand around her mouth.

"Dr. Grant?" Ellie repeated in a whisper, noticeably amused.

Megan frowned at her, so Ellie forced the smile to leave her face.

"Well, why don't you use the new camera to go and get more secret pictures . . . " Ellie whispered the last part, ". . . of Dr. Grant."

Megan smiled and looked as if she hadn't thought of that concept.

"Okay!" She shouted.

Ellie stood up, as Brian handed over the new disposable camera to Megan. The little girl had already moved onto another thought process, though.

"Do they have hot dogs, Daddy?" She asked.

"I'm sure they do, Meglet," he answered.

Ellie smiled, as 'Meglet' became even more happy and began to skip away, her little work boots tossing dirt around as she jumped. Brian was quiet for several seconds watching her get farther away.

"Sorry about that," he said.

"For what?"

"For the way my daughter acts. I'm afraid she's a little more than spoiled."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Brian. She's adorable. Really," Ellie answered.

They watched Megan run into her brother, who was throwing rocks at some other kid.

"Well, at least she found her brother," Brian said, cringing as one of Cody's rocks hit another boy in the shoulder.

"Yeah," Ellie said, watching the brother and sister head toward the food. "So, Brian, how long has she had this little crush on Alan?"

Brian laughed.

"Oh, that. Sorry about that, too," he answered. "She's done nothing but talk about him since we were here last summer. She's quite relentless."

Ellie smiled, thinking that it was very cute, and also thinking that she now realized the source of the "clicking" in poor Alan's head. She patted Brian on the shoulder.

"Well, let's go have a bite to eat, what do you say?"

"I'm starving."

Ellie began to walk toward the rather large lunch table that was set up near the research trailer. Brian fiddled with the computer keyboard for a few more seconds, and then followed her.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why aren't you out there looking at the possible Velociraptor?" Ellie questioned Alan.

After a mini search, she had found him in the research trailer.

"I'm heading out there now," he answered, closing a large encyclopedia, "I needed to make sure the Rex was secured for now. And by the way . . . that area is off limits to students, volunteers, and the tourists. I asked Rob to put some warning signs around it and to block it off."

"Yeah, I think he's done with that."

"Oh, good," Alan commented, "Where is he now?"

"He's helping Brian recompile---"

"Thanks," Alan said, cutting her off before the computer jargon kicked into high gear.

Ellie rolled her eyes, and then immediately thought about just how many times a day he would cause her to do that to him. He was such an easy-going guy, unless you were talking about either computers or children. If one of those topics came up, he was like a totally different person. She wasn't going to make a big deal out of it right now, though.

"Okay, well, I'm going to see what Brian and Rob are up to. Then, I'll meet you over there, okay?"

"See you in an hour," he said.

"No. Not an hour," she corrected him, "I'll be there soon. I just want to get an update from them. An update, that's all."

"Sure," he said, heading out toward the Dromaeosaurid area, flipping the brim of his hat toward her.

"I mean it!" She yelled to his back.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Making it to the same old place that Brian seemed to live daily, Ellie only found Rob standing there, staring at the computer screen.

"Where's Brian?"

"Oh, he had to go get a computer part," he said, barely glancing at her.

"From where?"

"It turns out a local shop had what he needed, so he left about twenty minutes ago."

"Oh, okay," she said, looking around. She spotted Megan playing nearby. "He left the kids here?"

"No, just one of them. One of the other parents is watching her. He took the little dude with him."

"That was good of him."

"Alan says those kids are evil," Rob said, never looking away from the computer screen.

"They're not evil. Just a little spoiled, is all."

"Evil. Spoiled. I think Alan thinks that's the same thing, Ellie."

"Yeah, probably," she said, grinning, "So, what are you doing?"

"Watching the program recompile. It's fun."

She wasn't sure if he was serious or not.

"I bet."

"No, really it is. There are hundreds of lines of code here. Simply amazing stuff."

"Ms. Ellie?"

Ellie looked down and saw Megan standing there, looking up at her. Slightly puzzled, she looked in the direction where she last saw the little girl, since it didn't seem possible that she had gotten from point A to point B so fast. Obviously, she wasn't over there anymore.

"Yeah, Megan?"

"I want my Daddy," she whined.

"Oh, well he should be back very soon, okay?"

"Okay."

"What do you have there?" Rob asked the little girl in a nice way.

"Nothing," Megan said, staring at him.

Rob smiled.

"Is that a camera?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

"It's her special secret camera, Rob," Ellie explained.

"Oh, is that right?" He asked.

"Yes."

Megan wasn't all too sure about Rob, so she kept her answers very short. He was very talkative and very friendly. Almost too friendly, reminding her of the dangerous strangers her Daddy had told her about. The kind of person to be very friendly, offer you candy, and then be mean to you. She was smart enough to realize the meaning behind that obscure sentence . . . it meant trying to steal you away and kill you, and that was why she looked at Rob in the way she did.

Just then, Brian's truck pulled up, causing Megan to go into an abundant burst of anticipation. Her father being back meant one thing to her . . . the pictures were here! She politely excused herself from Ellie, looked strangely at Rob, and then high-tailed it toward Brian.

"Daddy!"

Brian grabbed a small white paper bag out of the truck and handed to the animated child. She tore into the bag, grabbed the enveloped-shaped picture holder and opened the flap, throwing the white paper bag on the ground.

"Hey, pick that up," Brian scolded her.

She sighed and did what she was told for once. She was too happy to think about disobeying at this point. Her brother exited the truck and made fun of her for a second, just one more thing she ignored, as she was transfixed on the photos. She handed the bag to her father, as her tiny fingers began to go through the twenty-four exposures.

Her happiness faded quickly.

"These are not right," she said softly, going through them quicker.

"What's wrong with them, sweetie?"

"They're far away."

"Let me see," Brian said, taking the photos from her.

He flipped through them and noticed that they all looked as if they were shot from a very long distance. She had been too far away when she took the pictures, leaving the people very small in the photos. You couldn't even really tell who any of the people were.

"Meglet, you were supposed to get closer than that."

"You didn't tell me that," she said, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

"I think I told you to look through the little hole, make sure what you want to take a picture of was right in the middle, and then push the button."

"I did that."

Rob was looking over Brian's shoulder now.

"Yep. The people in the pictures are always in the center. They're just a few miles away."

Ellie pulled Rob back, giving him a nasty look, "You're not helping."

"Sorry," he said, snickering. Then, he mouthed the words "Meglet?" to Ellie, laughing as he did so.

Ellie waved him off and approached the distraught girl.

"What's the problem?"

Megan took the pictures back from her father and handed them to Ellie, who had already knelt down to her level. If there was one person who would understand all that was wrong with this . . . Megan knew that it would be Ellie. The girl handed the photos to her, wiping a tear away at the same time.

Like Brian before her, Ellie thumbed through the photos.

"You know, Megan . . . some of these pictures turned out okay."

"Like which ones?"

Ellie grabbed one in the middle of the pack. It was a picture of . . . who else . . . Alan. In the photo, he was near one of the water towers getting a drink. She had been close enough to him when she snapped this particular picture, so at least he was in focus and you could tell who was in the picture.

Megan studied it for a minute. Alan was in the picture, but the cup he was drinking from covered most of his face, so it wasn't all that great. It did seem to be the best of the lot, though.

"Yeah, that one isn't bad," she finally agreed.

As Ellie got to the end of the pack, the last picture made her laugh. It was a picture of Rob. Perfectly in focus. Perfectly centered. A perfect picture in every way.

Rob had placed himself behind Ellie, so that he could see the rest of the pictures. He wanted to have something to make fun of Alan with later and this little girl, and her camera, were the perfect thing in his opinion. He was genuinely surprised to see his mug included in the pictures. He had forgotten about jumping in front of the camera earlier.

"Hey, that's me!" He exclaimed, "What a good looking guy, eh?" He asked Megan.

Megan remembered that picture very well. She had wanted to get a picture of Alan and just before she pushed the button, that idiot jumped in front of the camera with his giant goofy smile. She wasn't happy about it then, but now she was really unhappy. She took the pictures from Ellie, walked up to Rob and kicked him as hard as she could in his shin.

"Megan!" Brian shouted.

Yelling didn't matter, though. She was very upset.

"You're an idiot!" She shouted at the dumbfounded Rob.

Before Brian could grab her, she ran away, leaving her father to apologize to the adults. 

"Sorry about that. She's just a little more than spoiled, as I've said before."

To Ellie, it seemed like he had done this quite a bit, because his little speech seemed well rehearsed and similar to the sorry speech from earlier.

Rob was holding his leg and watching Megan run away.

"She's a mean little thing," he said, laughing. He looked at Brian, "But I like her spunk!"

Ellie was stifling a laugh until Megan was far enough away not to see or hear it. She let out a hearty laugh, placing a hand on Rob's shoulder.

"You okay? Or do we need to call a medic?" She joked.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellie found out from Dr. Porter, that Alan had returned to his trailer. The fact that he was never where he said he was going to be, was kind of getting her mad. The afternoon had pretty much dwindled away, leaving only a few daylight hours to spend on the raptor.

She made it inside and quietly shut the door, thinking he might have decided he needed more rest. He wasn't sleeping, though. He was on the phone, his back to her. He didn't look very happy as the conversation came to an end.

"Okay, thank you. I'd very much appreciate it if he could call me back as soon as possible. Yes, I understand that he's out of the country. Yes. But I'm sure they have phones there, don't you think? No. I'm not getting rude with you. Look, just tell him to call Alan Grant in Montana. It's urgent. Yes. G-R-A-N-T, yes. Thank you."

He hung up the phone and sighed deeply.

"Everything all right?" She asked.

He hadn't realized she was there. Slightly startled, he turned around.

"Maybe," he answered.

"Oh?"

"Remember Bob Morris?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he doesn't work for John Hammond. He works for the Environmental Protection Agency."

"Interesting," Ellie said, a little worried.

"It gets worse," Alan said, "He's a lawyer."

"Very interesting."

"He wants to come here and talk to me about the Hammond Foundation."

"Did he say about what?"

"Not really. He was very vague."

"Do you think you're in trouble?"

"I hope not."

Ellie could see the beginnings of stress in his tone, so she tried to make him feel better.

"Maybe he's just preparing annual reports about Hammond and wants to ask a few questions."

"If that was the case, I think he would have been less vague."

"True," Ellie admitted, "But I don't think it's something to get worked up about."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"When is he coming?"

"July 8th."

"Wow, that's quick. What is that? Next week?"

"About two weeks," Alan said, glancing at the calendar hanging on the wall. He sighed again and added, "This situation is looking more and more bleak."

"Are you going to call Hammond?"

"Mr. Morris told me not to."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He pretty much demanded it."

"Oh."

"But I called Hammond anyway," he said, smirking. "Only, he's not around. Out of the country or something," he added, gesturing toward the phone.

"We'll just have to play it by ear, I guess."

"I'd rather talk to Hammond first. This all seems very fishy to me."

"Yeah, I'm getting the same vibe."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it, until Hammond calls me, so let's head on over to the raptor."

"Sounds good to me," Ellie said.

  
  


_June 25, 1993 - Friday_

  


Her hair blowing in the breeze, Ellie awoke in the car and pushed the button to roll up the window. She had been sleeping for about an hour. Alan was driving, and had been listening to the weather report, when he heard the window going up. He turned the radio down just a little bit, and glanced toward her.

"I was just thinking about you," he said, smiling.

"You were, were you?" She asked groggily, stretching her arms.

He pointed toward a land formation on the side of the road, that they were about to pass.

"Remember this place?"

Ellie studied the cliff, as they began to drive past it. Indeed, it did look familiar, but she was having trouble focusing. They drove past the cliff and when she saw a few road signs that looked equally familiar, she finally remembered where they were.

"This is where that dashing and debonair Australian guy saved my night . . . and possibly my life," she said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek, "Did I ever properly thank you for that?"

"Oh, yes. A hundred times over, by now," he responded quickly.

The reminiscing got Ellie thinking about something.

"I guess that explains why you were going this way the night I nearly drove off this cliff. Were you going to Miles City back then, too?"

He nodded, as he watched the road.

"I usually go there twice a summer, for supplies and things."

"It certainly was fate, running into you that night," she said.

"I don't know about that fate stuff, but I'm absolutely elated that I was going out of town that weekend."

Ellie smiled and looked out the window. She was very quiet, as she placed a hand on the side of her head and leaned into the window.

"What's wrong? Not feeling well?" Alan asked, noticing that her mood had altered some.

He was so in-tune to her needs at times, and each time it impressed her. He could always figure out when she wasn't feeling well, but then he was clueless about a great many other things when it came to her.

"I've got a headache," she said, leaning toward him.

He put his arm around her and she fell back to sleep on his shoulder.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alan put the gasoline pump away, indicating that the tank was full. He had already paid, so he got into the car, started it and waited for Ellie. She was inside buying some soda and junk food. As he was watching her, a sudden ringing caught his attention. He looked down on the seat and saw Ellie's portable phone lying there sideways, almost ready to fall between the seats. He rescued it and stared at it, as it continued to ring. After glancing into the gas station and seeing that she wasn't going to come back in the next minute or so, he began to attempt figuring out how one would go about answering the phone. One of the buttons had a crude picture of a phone on it, so he pushed it and held it to his ear.

"Hello."

"Is Ellie Sattler there?" A somewhat familiar male voice asked.

"Yes, just a moment."

"Is this Grant?" The voice asked, slightly cracking in the static.

Alan didn't know how to react to that, except for to be a little cautious. The lack of placing Mr. or Dr. in front of his name caused an alarm to sound in his mind.

"Yes, it is."

"I'm going to get you back. Both of you."

"Who is this?"

Before he even asked the question, Alan had all but guessed who it was. There was only one person he could think of that was upset enough with both Ellie and himself to threaten them.

"I think you're smart enough to figure that out," the man said.

"How did you get this number, Greg?"

"Like I would tell you."

"Talking on a portable phone, so it can't be tracked is clever."

"You know what's really clever? What I've got planned for you."

Alan took a deep breath, as he gripped the phone tighter, angering quickly. He glanced toward the gas station, noticing that Ellie was the next in line to be waited on.

"Greg, you got off easy, so why don't you just stop bothering us. Why don't you just go on with your life and become a scientist and sprout your infinite wisdom all over the world?"

"My life was altered because of you."

"Your life was altered because of yourself."

"Watch your back, Grant. You never know when your magnificent career will go down the tubes."

When Greg got to the word 'magnificent', he had trouble saying it, hinting to Alan that he may have been somewhat inebriated.

"Why don't you stop harassing me? How about that?"

"Or maybe I'll go in an entirely different route. One can never be sure," Greg stated, brushing aside Alan entirely, "Instead of ruining your career, perhaps I'll just hire someone to run you down, or maybe shoot you, or how about beating you up and stabbing you. Hell, even burn you alive or drown you."

After listening to that slurred montage of violence, Alan was now sure he was drunk. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ellie exiting the store, walking toward the car. He removed the phone from his ear and hit the button with the image of the phone with a line through it, silencing Greg Diamond's angry and insane threats.

The car door opened and Ellie quickly got inside, looking strangely at him.

"Why are you holding my phone?"

Alan looked at the phone in his hand as if he didn't realize he was holding it at all. He smiled, but she could see that it wasn't genuine.

"It was falling between the seats, so I picked it up," he explained, and then he placed it in front of her, "Here."

She took it, still looking at him strangely. He seemed upset about something, but she couldn't imagine what. He started the car, forgetting that he had already done so, producing a screeching sound that made Ellie cringe. He softly swore under his breath, and put the car in gear.

He steered the car around a few people walking back and forth from the pumps to the building, and then finally made it to the approach leading to the main road. Ellie watched him in silence, as he became more and more irritable. He was waiting, rather impatiently, for one more car to pass by before pulling out on the road. The car was moving rather slowly, and to Ellie it seemed to only get slower, the closer it got to the gas station. As the car neared the entrance, the older man driving the car turned into the gas station, setting Alan off.

"Asshole! What in the bloody hell are you doing?" He shouted through the open window, and then he added more of an American insult, "Why don't you learn to use your God damn blinkers!"

The yelling startled the older gentlemen, as his car passed Alan's, causing him to veer to the right and almost run onto the little bit of grass that was planted in the front of the gas station.

"Son of a bitch," Alan seethed, as he glared at the man.

"Is there something you need to talk about?" Ellie asked, almost to the point of being amused at his rudeness.

"Not exactly."

"Alan, relax."

"People need to learn how to drive."

"Taking your anger out on a stranger who forgot to use a blinker is a little stupid, don't you think?"

He wanted nothing more than to stop thinking about Greg Diamond and the last thing he wanted to do was worry Ellie by bringing up his name. He realized he needed to share the negative knowledge.

"Greg just called you on your phone," he simply stated, gesturing toward the portable phone still in her hand.

"He what?"

"Yeah, I had a pleasant conversation with the little delinquent."

"What did he say?"

"Oh, the usual. How are you . . . I'm plotting my revenge . . . watch your back, I'm going to kill you."

"He threatened to kill you?"

"Yeah. In a round about way, yeah," Alan said, bending the truth, thinking about all the ways Greg had plotted to kill him.

"We need to call the police."

He wasn't about to go that route again. His anger had taken over now. With his rage increasing, he pulled the car over to the side of the road and violently placed the gearshift into the park position. After a second or two to gather his thoughts, he turned toward Ellie, glaring at her.

"The last time the damn police got involved, there was a lot of hassle and trouble. I'm not going to be interviewed again . . . in a police station or in a damn courtroom. I'm just not."

His position was understandable, so she didn't push the police issue for now. Instead, she tried to find out more about what had happened.

"What did he say to you exactly?"

"It doesn't matter. He was drunk."

"Alan, whatever he said . . . it has gotten you very angry. Just tell me."

"I already told you."

"That's all he said?"

"Pretty much," he sighed, and then he looked at her. She was about to protest, but he took her hand in his and looked into her eyes, "He threatened to get even. He threatened to ruin me. And then he threatened to kill me. In that order. So, I doubt whether or not I need to worry about it, since he's obviously just trying to rile me. And he did just that, getting me angry enough to yell at you. I let him get to me for a second, but know I'm putting an end to that. There's no use in getting mad, so I don't want to talk about it anymore, okay?"

"Okay."

He nodded, smiled and drove the car back onto the road. After several quiet minutes, he added, "And we'll get your phone number changed just as soon as we get back."

"Okay," she softly repeated.

She let it go for now, but she was very much worried about what the two of them talked about on her phone. Greg Diamond was a real problem. He had already proven that he could carry out a threat, so Ellie would concentrate on talking Alan into going to the police later. The little derelict wasn't going to get away with just threatening people at will.

As he continued to drive, Ellie's phone rang again. The chances of it being Greg calling back were very good at this point, since Alan had hung up on him. After a brief tense moment of looking at one another, she answered it. Alan saw the relief in her face, as it was obvious she had recognized the voice as friendly, causing him to relax himself.

"Hello, Mom," she said, sighing.

Alan laughed.

"Yeah, like that's much better," he teased, as she playfully hit him in the arm.

  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha

  
  


Author Note: I'm not sure if I've properly expressed my happiness about the feedback I've received so far. So I'd like to say thank you! I am very pleased that my hard work is paying off and that there are other people interested in Alan and Ellie's past. Only two more chapters to go .... so stay tuned!

  


And please don't forget to leave a comment. :)

  



	31. Chapter 31: Unforseen Troubles

  


Chapter 31: Unforseen Troubles

  


_July 5, 1993 - Monday_

  


When Ellie stepped outside, there was already a great many things going on at the dig site. Local volunteers, students, and tourists were running around in every direction. Today was what Rob liked to call "swap a tourist", where some of the paying tourists would go home, and new ones would show up in their place. This event would always occur on a Monday, so it usually made for a rigorous day. She didn't really expect to see Rob for much of the day, since it was his turn to do the orientation. 

Having slept in slightly, she had missed Alan in the morning, so she decided to go and look for him first. She wove in and out between people, answering question upon question thrown her way, as she made her way to West Hill, Horizon 3E. This was mostly unexplored territory until now, and Alan had finally been able to find fossils from a few smaller carnivorous dinosaurs. She knew these were his favorite types of fossils to find. After listening to him go on and on about the Dromaeosauridae family, it was a no-brainer to figure out that this was what he liked researching the most.

Ellie made it to the area. The walk wasn't as far as it used to be, since Alan had his trailer moved closer to the section. He had spent almost every waking hour in that area for the last month, with the possible exception of going on that Miles City weekend trip. She really hadn't seen much of him in that time, unless she was by his side assisting him.

She found him lying on his chest, carefully chiseling a tiny fossil imbedded in front of him. Feeling the presence of someone nearby, he looked up.

"Oh, if it isn't the early bird," he said, sitting up and wiping some dirt from his face.

"I had a late night," she explained, stifling a yawn.

"When will you learn to shut those old black and white movies off when they begin after midnight?" He asked while putting his sunglasses on.

"Because I'm a hopeless romantic," she answered, smiling.

"They're not romantic. They're corny," he commented.

"To you they're corny. To me, they are exactly the way I wish life and love were."

Alan rolled his eyes and pointed a finger at her.

"No more corny movies for you. You're scaring me."

Ellie changed the subject, "Okay, move over," she said, laying in the dirt next to him.

He smiled and gave her a little room next to what he was working on. Grabbing another chisel, she dove right in, like she had been there helping him for hours. They had always found it easy to work with one another. She was really the first person that didn't get in his way at all, so he was happy to have the company.

They worked tirelessly for a few hours, happy to just make some small talk, and then Alan sat up again, stretching.

"I'm starving," he announced.

"Yeah, I'm a little hungry myself."

"Let's go to Leon's," he suggested.

She nodded in agreement. They picked up their tools and placed them in a neat pile, covering them with a nearby tarp. Then, they began to walk back.

"Why are we going this way?" Ellie asked, since they seemed to be going the long way around.

"I just wanted to take a quick look around the area," he answered.

"Sounds good."

They walked for about ten minutes, when Alan suddenly dropped to the ground. Her first reaction was that he might have tripped on something, while her second reaction was that he might have suffered a heart attack in the grilling Montana sun.

"Alan?"

"Look at this," he whispered, breathing out slowly as he studied the ground before him.

Ellie was instantly intrigued by his intenseness, so she knelt down next to him. After he moved to the right, allowing the sun to shine directly on the dirt, it only took seconds for her to see what he had seen.

Excited, she grabbed his arm and whispered, "Is that what I think it is?"

"Another dromaeosaur," he answered.

"How many does that make now?"

"Three," he answered. After another deep breath, he continued, "Three in one summer."

"How lucky that you just happened to look down at the right time," she perceived.

Alan stood, frowned at her, and readjusted his hat.

"Not lucky. Skilled."

"Skilled my ass," she said, smiling at him, "Luck had a great deal to do with this. Admit it or I'll take that hat and bury it while you're sleeping."

Alan looked as if he were really thinking about that ultimatum.

"Fine, it was luck," he finally said.

Ellie laughed, "What is it with that hat anyway?"

"Sometime, when you have a few hours, I'll tell you."

Ellie gestured toward the ground, "Well, I think we're going to be spending quite a few hours in very close relation with one another."

"Okay, well, there's not really a story behind the hat," he admitted. "I just like it."

Shaking her head at his admission, she asked, "How long have you had it?"

"This one?" He asked, lightly touching its brim, "Not long."

"How long?"

"Twelve years."

"Twelve . . . years?"

"Yes."

"That's kind of a long time to normal people. You realize that, right?"

"Are you calling me abnormal?"

"Yes."

"Just checking," he said, coming in for a quick kiss on her cheek. "Okay! Let's get this started, shall we?"

"You're the boss," she said, nodding, watching him get back in the dirt.

"When did that happen?" He asked, looking up.

"You're the boss here, Alan. I'm the boss everywhere else. Got it?"

"Sure thing."

Ellie loved the particular grin he was using at that moment. He was such a good-looking man and coupled with that sexy grin, she wanted nothing more than to be alone with him, secluded away somewhere private. That would have to wait, though. She leaned down next to him.

"So, how will you go about deciding on which species this is?" She asked as she sighed, trying to get her mind onto something more scientifically important.

He looked at her, and it was clear that he had been having the same thoughts of intimacy. Sighing in an equally disappointing manner, he reeled in his inner thoughts and the scientist came back out to the surface.

"Good North American dromaeosaur material is hard to come by, so there is very little to compare it with. As the fossil becomes more exposed, I'll be able to make a more educated guess.

"I didn't even realize that velociraptor was prominent in this area."

"Velociraptor langstoni is becoming well know in these parts, in the Hell Creek Formation and the Judith River group."

"Have most of them been infants? I've noticed that quite a few things uncovered here are in the infancy stage."

"Yes, the majority of fossils discovered are infants or juveniles," he said, "But this one, at first glance, looks like it might be an adult," he said, as he gently rubbed his hands over the dirt.

"That's a nice change," she said.

"It's nice, but I think the abundance of infants in the area is the reason Hammond funds my digs."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He's very interested in young dinosaurs. Both him and Donald Gennaro. That's what most of my reports were about."

"That's more than a little odd, don't you think?"

"You want to hear something really odd? Gennaro. He used to call me in the middle of the night, asking about the feeding habits of certain dinosaurs."

"In the middle of the night?"

"Yeah," Alan said, laughing. "I'm not sure what all of the urgency was about, but overall, the guy is annoying and pushy."

"He better hope and pray that he never wakes me from a sound sleep in the middle of the night," she said.

"God help him," Alan said, laughing, "if he is foolish enough to call when you're near the phone."

Ellie smiled, picturing that little scenario.

"But . . . he works for Mr. Money Bags, so you answer all of his questions like a good little scientist," she teased.

"Whatever makes the guy behind the money happy, I suppose," Alan admitted. "He's a little 'out there', but I only have to talk to him a few times a year, so it's a small price to pay for how much money he funds me."

They made themselves comfortable and began the long and tedious process of digging, totally forgetting about eating lunch.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Rob approached Alan, who was sitting on a chair near the barbeque, eating a hamburger. It was almost dusk and the heat had finally died down, making way for a nice breeze.

"Where's Ellie?"

"She'll be here in a second," Alan answered, not even looking at him.

"Where have you guys been all day?" He asked with an attitude.

"Working, Rob."

"Where though?"

"Why?"

"Because I needed you earlier, that's why," Rob said a little louder than he meant to. He brought his voice back to normal and added, "These new tourists are completely dim-witted."

"All of them have been dim-witted so far, Rob. There is now difference between the ones from now and the ones from last week," Alan observed, smiling, "But this was _your_ idea, so live with it."

"You know, I'm starting to think you're really not all that nice."

"I don't care."

Rob was going to add something that would surely be idiotic, but he saw Ellie walking toward them, so he didn't.

"You ready to go home?" She asked Alan, tapping a hand on his leg.

"Yep," he answered, standing up and making his way past Rob.

"Hey, wait, I need to ask you a million and one questions first."

"Tomorrow, okay?"

Rob frowned, "Yeah, okay."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Ellie said, stopping abruptly. "I think something is wrong with my car."

"Like what?" Rob asked.

"On the way here, it made a ticking noise."

"You want me to drive it home and listen to it?" Alan offered.

"Yeah, would you?"

Alan nodded and Rob laughed.

"Since when are you a car mechanic, you bookworm nerdy science guy?" Rob joked.

"My father was a mechanic."

Rob frowned, "Oh, yeah. My mistake. Proceed."

"Your father was a mechanic?" Ellie asked, as this was news to her.

"Well, that among other things, yeah."

"So, were you guys planning on eating somewhere?" Rob asked, "Because I'm starving and it's no fun eating alone."

Alan looked at his watch and then back to Ellie, "Well, it's after work hours, so she's the boss," he teased her.

"Very funny," Ellie said, giving him one of her looks.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Opting to just go home, leaving Rob on his own, Ellie had started the drive back to the house in Alan's truck. It seemed to take forever and by the time she got close, it was dark outside. Alan had been driving behind her, but he had gotten caught at a light back a little way, so she didn't see her car anymore.

She turned into the subdivision and suddenly saw headlights coming toward her. She hit the brakes immediately, trying to move out of the way, but she was sideswiped on her side, causing Alan's truck to skid and fall into the ditch on the side of the road. She had her seatbelt on, but that didn't stop her body from smashing into the side of the door. She grabbed the steering wheel in panic, as the screeching and the sound of the initial impact flooded her ears. The metal grinding against metal was very loud and the sound traveled quickly, causing some lights in the neighborhood to illuminate.

Alan was in her car, about a half mile behind her. As he turned into the subdivision, he saw a dark colored truck back up and then speed back into another truck that was in the ditch to the right. His heart sank as noticed that it was his truck in the ditch, and then he became overanxious as the second collision happened in front of him.

Speeding up and racing to the ditch as fast as Ellie's car would go, he then slammed on the brakes of the Taurus, bringing the car to a skidding and sliding halt next to the accident. He was close enough to see that there was a bearded man behind the wheel of the mysterious truck, but he couldn't make out any features since it was dark.

The man had been backing up again, when he saw the Taurus come to a stop nearby. He turned the wheels sharply to the right and forcefully hit the gas pedal. The truck tires squealed against the pavement and then it came barreling toward Alan, who had already opened the car door trying to get to Ellie.

In the short amount of time it took him to open the door, the headlights of the mystery truck were coming his way, at a very high rate of speed toward the side of the car. He didn't have enough time to shut the door, as the truck collided with the Taurus, shutting the door for him. The whole side of the car buckled under the pressure, threatening to trap Alan inside. He hadn't worn his seatbelt though, so he was able to move his body out of harm's way.

The man in the truck saw the driver of the Taurus and swore to himself, as he backed up again and continued to go backwards, down the street. He reached the two-lane road and screeched out of the subdivision.

Kind of dazed, Alan sat very still in the car trying to comprehend what had just happened. Seconds later, he opened the passenger door and crawled over the seat and out of the car, stumbling toward the ditch. He felt a warm stream of blood coming down his forehead where his head had hit the windshield, but he simply wiped it away as he made his way to Ellie.

There were a few neighbors outside by now, and one of them approached him.

"Are you okay?" His next-door neighbor asked.

"I think so," he said softly, as he made his way to the ditch.

He stopped in his tracks, when he saw just how bad his truck looked. It was on its side, with half of it basically gone, smashed into itself from where the mystery truck had crashed into it. He hurried to the truck, but no matter how fast he ran, he didn't seem to get there any faster. Everything was in slow motion, as he agonized over the fact that he could see she wasn't moving.

Briefly stopped by another neighbor who threw him a flashlight, he calmly jumped across the ditch and landed awkwardly on the top of the overturned truck. It slightly swayed and he swore at himself for doing something that could have put her in more danger.

"Call 911!" He yelled behind him.

"I already did," the neighbor answered.

Alan carefully crawled over the wreckage and made his way to the driver's window, that was pointing straight up toward the dark sky. Yelling Ellie's name the entire time, he took a deep breath and dared to peek inside.

There she was . . . seemingly unconscious, leaning against the steering wheel, her seatbelt still holding her in place in the driver's seat. It looked like she had gripped the steering wheel as the accident had occurred since one of her arms was entangled with it.

"Ellie?"

He said her name so quietly, he could just barely hear himself say it. He cleared his throat and said it again, a little louder.

"Ellie?"

"How is she?" One of the neighbors asked, standing beside the ditch.

"I-I don't know. She's not . . . she's not moving," he said softly. He reached his arm into the truck and gently touched her face. She woke up instantly.

"Ellie?" He said again.

She looked at him. It didn't seem like she was in any pain, but it also didn't look like she was fully alert. Then, as if it happened in stages right in front of him, she began to remember what had happened. With each second, she became increasingly alarmed, until finally she was fully alert and aware of what was hurting her. She began to fidget around in the truck, trying to get out.

"Hold on, hold on. Help is coming. Don't move too much. You could fall right to the bottom."

She looked away from him, turning her head in the opposite direction. Seeing for the first time how far the passenger side door looked to be from where she was suspended, she panicked.

Swinging her head back toward him, she cried out, "Get me out of here!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down, Ellie. Are you hurt anywhere?" He asked, looking around the truck, trying to figure out a way to get her out of it. Her right arm was stuck in the mangled steering wheel, and her left leg looked to be trapped in the buckled front panel of the truck. It wasn't going to be easy getting her out of there.

Fixated on her seatbelt, she didn't bother to answer his question. He grabbed her free hand, as she was trying to unbuckle it.

"Don't do that. You'll fall," he said quietly.

"I don't care! I want out of here!" She screamed at him, her voice breaking as she tried so very hard not to cry.

He was going to try and talk her into being more reasonable, but then something got his attention. He looked around uneasily, as the undeniable fumes began to invite their way into the cabin of the truck.

"Gasoline," Ellie whispered, her fear at very high levels. Grabbing his shirt with her left hand she pleaded, "Alan, get me out of here. I don't want to burn alive. Get me out of here now!"

After prying her hand from his shirt, Alan turned to look at the neighbor standing nearby.

"When did you call 911?" He shouted.

"As soon as it happened," he answered.

Looking back into the truck, he quickly studied the situation with great concern.

"We need to get your arm out," he stated.

"Just pull it out, I don't care!" She shouted.

"You'll break it."

"I don't care!" She repeated, beginning to hyperventilate, "Just get me out of here!"

"Okay. I'm working on it," he whispered, "You need to calm down," he said, as he began to work on freeing her arm, "Screaming at me isn't helping."

She winced when he moved the steering wheel in a certain way, causing him to stop.

"Alan!" One of the neighbors shouted.

He craned his neck to look.

"Fire! There's a fire starting near the bottom!"

Glancing back inside the truck, Alan yelled to anyone, close enough to hear him.

"I need a crowbar!"

A few neighbors ran off in different directions. When he turned back toward Ellie, she was trying to unbuckle the seatbelt again. Thankfully, she wasn't able to reach over to her right side and adequately push the release button with her left hand, so he had time to reach in and grab her arm. She pushed him away and yelled something to him in desperation, but he didn't hear it because one of the neighbors had shown up again.

"Here's a crowbar!" Someone from the increasing crowd yelled.

Alan stretched down and grabbed the crowbar and wasted no time maneuvering himself farther into the truck. He hooked the crowbar to a section of the bent steering wheel and pushed down on it, gritting his teeth from the brut force he was using.

"It's okay, Ellie. I'm getting you out of here," he whispered, as the steering wheel began to straighten out under the pressure of the crowbar.

Ellie sighed with a tremendous amount of relief, as she pulled her arm away from the steering wheel. She glanced down and saw the small flames below. She reached for the seatbelt again, but Alan was in the way now.

"Hold on," he said, glancing at the fire the same way she had, "Can you wrap your arms around my neck?"

She nodded as a tear ran down her face. She gripped him tightly and closed her eyes, wincing from the obvious pain in her right arm. He placed one arm under her legs and the other around her back.

"Okay, here we go," he announced, taking a deep breath, hoping that her leg would come free easily.

Making sure he had a firm grip on her, he reached around her waist and unbuckled the seatbelt. The belt flipped in the air and hit him in the forehead, as she began to fall to the fire started below. The intenseness of the situation blocked out any pain he should have been feeling, so he was able to maintain his grip and keep her from falling.

Lifting her up with all of his might, he was finally able to get her head and shoulders clear of the wreckage. She opened her eyes at that moment and began to help, letting him go and latching onto anything she could find. He reached back inside and gently lifted her legs out of harm's way, being especially careful with the leg that had been trapped by the frame of the truck. Looking at her briefly, he smiled at her when her eyes had finally rested on his own.

The smile faded quickly.

The truck began to sway in the ditch, creaking and then finally surrendering its fight to stay on its side. Holding Ellie's hand, Alan leaped off the truck with her quickly mimicking his actions. The truck fell backwards, turning completely upside down.

The duo had made it to the edge of the ditch, where a few helpful neighbors pulled on their clothes, stopping them from falling into it. Alan wasn't sure how many people were pushing and pulling them to safety, but he was certainly very thankful for their quick response. Thirty seconds later, the truck exploded in the ditch, causing everyone nearby to shield their heads.

After the initial explosion had died down, Alan took Ellie to their house and carefully helped her sit on the porch. The whole accident happened only two doors down from where they lived. About a dozen onlookers joined them.

Looking up into Alan's eyes, Ellie could see that he looked on the verge of tears. At that moment, her involuntary shaking made her realize just how emotionally unstable she felt, too. She reached out to him, which triggered him to take her in his arms and embrace her. Being very gentle at first, they tightened their grips on each other, relieved to both be safe and sound. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him as close as possible, instantly easing her peace of mind after such an ordeal.

"Could someone find a blanket?" He asked the worried crowd.

Someone hurried onto the porch and tried the front door.

"It's locked," the woman said, still trying to turn the doorknob.

Alan almost laughed.

"The keys are . . . in the car," he said.

"I'll get one from my house," the neighbor stated, as she rushed to her house next door.

Moments later, the neighbor had returned and someone was draping a large grey blanket over them. After a few minutes of just holding each other, Alan released Ellie and began to check her over, looking for any serious injuries. She took him by the arm.

"I'm okay, Alan," she said, her voice slightly trembling.

He smiled wearily, moving a few strands of blonde hair from her face.

"What happened?" He finally asked.

Ellie took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves.

"I don't know. I turned and all of a sudden there were these headlights staring at me."

As she finished the sentence, they could hear sirens coming closer and closer.

"When I turned onto the street, the guy was running into you again," Alan mentioned.

"You saw him?"

"No, not really. It was definitely a man. He had a beard, but I couldn't see any other distinct features."

Ellie glanced at some of the people.

"Anyone see him?"

Some people shook their heads no, while others just looked down at the ground.

"No one saw the guy?" Ellie questioned. After no one answered, "Anyone get a license plate number?"

Again, no one said a thing. She looked back at Alan.

"You didn't see a plate number either?" She asked in disbelief.

"No, I didn't," he answered.

"Why not? You were right there."

"His car was hit, too," a neighbor spoke up.

That's when she noticed her mangled Taurus in the middle of the street. Looking back at Alan, for the first time she noticed the cut on his forehead. She felt foolish for not seeing all of it before and figuring out things for herself.

"Oh, my God," she said softly.

Without thinking, she reached out and touched his face. He winced and took her hand in his, kissing it gently, just as two police cars turned into the subdivision.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


A very tall and physically fit man stood in front of the predetermined meeting point, waiting rather impatiently for his payoff. It had been several hours since the job had been done, so the man wanted the money he knew he deserved. A brand new black 1993 Mercedes-Benz E-Class pulled up along the curb and the driver's window came down. Greg Diamond was alone in the car.

"Did you do it?" Greg asked.

The man smiled, "Yes."

"That is good news. Very good. But," Greg began to show some anger, ". . . I had you tailed."

The man's smile faded. "Why?"

"Look at yourself," Greg said, gesturing toward the man's clothing and appearance, "You're a bum. I couldn't give you a hefty amount of money without knowing that you actually did what I had instructed."

"No, I suppose not."

"And you didn't do what I had instructed," Greg pointed out.

"No, there was a change in the plans," the man admitted.

"I'm assuming you got rid of the stolen truck that you used for the job?"

"Yes."

"It's my understanding that Alan Grant wasn't even present."

"No, he wasn't. But I didn't realize that until after the accident."

"And you were going to just take your money without mentioning that single important fact?"

"Quite frankly . . . yes," the man answered. "And besides, he showed up at the end. So, technically, he was there."

Greg smiled at his honesty.

"I like your spirit. So, I'll tell you what. I'll give you half of what was agreed on, since you were able to scare Ellie Sattler."

Greg handed the man a small package and then started to roll up the window. As the man turned to leave, Greg stopped rolling up the window and called out to him once more. The man looked at him.

"If you are caught, remember . . . you don't know me and you did this on your own. The money will only stay in your family if you keep your mouth shut."

"I know."

"I think it would be better if you didn't do anything to get yourself caught, though. Don't you?"

"Yes," the man answered.

"That means not deciding to act any further on your own. Background checks have made me fully aware of how you have acted in the past."

The man looked down, mildly embarrassed that Greg had known about his past assaults on women. Then, he accepted that he was just a pervert that needed some quick money.

"I didn't realize that I would be in such close proximity to such a beautiful lady."

"I didn't realize that you could use such grand words. How very untypical of you," Greg commented.

The man did nothing more than smile, as he turned around to leave.

"I'd like to give you a bit of advice, if you don't mind?" Greg said to his back.

The man looked at him again.

"Find some other female to terrorize."

The man continued to stare, tucking the money into his coat.

"If you feel the need to . . . fulfill your sick fantasies with this certain woman, I'm going to have to intervene."

"Intervene?"

"Yes. You know," Greg said, sighing, "come between you and your idea of fun. There are plenty of different ways to do just that. For example, you could become poor white trash again very quickly."

"Okay, okay," the man said, holding up his hands half way, "Point taken. I won't bother her."

"For your sake, I hope you're telling the truth."

Deciding not to wait for a response, Greg Diamond finished rolling up the car window and concealed himself behind the tinted glass. The black Mercedes, which he had "borrowed" from his father's vast collection of automobiles, pulled away and disappeared into the night.

He hadn't given the plan enough thought. That's what he finally determined. He had wanted to start his revenge on a small scale, by destroying Grant's truck and hopefully hurting him in the process. Surely a nice little untraceable way to upset the man's life, but Grant hadn't even been in the truck at the time of the botched accident. The fool had run into the truck at the worst time and had succeeded in having himself possibly spotted by a dozen or so people. At least the truck was disabled, so Greg's plan had semi-worked.

And now with the added problem with this bum and his willingness to assault women, Greg felt he needed to put an end to that before it even began. He didn't really care if Sattler was assaulted . . . he would have slept just fine knowing that, as the woman had done her fair share to him. What he was worried about was this bum being caught there and then spilling all he knew about Greg. The man didn't know his name, but he did know his face, so he needed to instill some fear into the bum. Satisfied that he was successful for now, he smiled slightly.

He fiddled around with the rest of the money sitting on the passenger seat of the Mercedes. His father would be unhappy to find out that he had "borrowed" both the car and the money, so he would have to be careful not to get caught with either.

  
  


_July 6, 1993 - Tuesday_

  


Ellie walked out onto the porch, stretching as far as her body would allow. It was only the day after the fender bender, so she was still very sore. Looking toward the road, she could see Alan's scorched truck in the ditch, upside down. Shivering over the thought of being trapped the night before, she pulled one of the small padded rocking chairs out of the corner of the porch, deciding to try and relax. She sighed and slowly sank into the old comfortable thing. She quietly sat there and closed her eyes, rocking gently back and forth, listening to the birds singing in the neighborhood.

She had the house to herself. It had taken several long talks to get Alan to go to work and leave her there, but being in solitude was what she felt she needed, so he had finally agreed.

A car door slammed somewhere close causing her to open her eyes. Looking for the source of the door slam for several seconds, she didn't see movement, except for a motorcycle going by. Finally giving up, she yawned and closed her eyes again.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Walking up to the passenger-side door of the Taurus, Alan placed his hand on the door handle.

"Where are you going?"

Alan turned around and saw Rob standing in front of the damaged car.

"Home to check on Ellie."

"I'm sure she's fine," Rob remarked.

"I know that."

"Then why are you going?"

Rob seemed a little too interested.

"Why are you asking?"

Rob laughed and walked in the opposite direction from him, looking at the driver's side of the car.

"Phew, there's a lot of damage here," he said.

"Why are you asking?" Alan repeated, looking over the roof of the car toward his secretive friend.

Rob was reaching out, running his hand along the very large dent that caved-in the driver's door.

"Asking what?"

"Rob. Diversion isn't your strong suit."

"Okay. So, she called over here to see how things were going."

"And?"

"And she talked to Carl mostly, but he had to leave, so he gave the phone to me."

Alan stared at him, waiting for more.

"So . . . to make a long story short . . . "

"Oh, please do," Alan added.

"She asked me to see if I could persuade you to stay here and not worry about checking on her. And give her some well deserved time away from your sorry ass."

Alan frowned.

"I added that last part in there for humor."

"Yeah."

". . . and you're not laughing. So, I guess I'll shut up now," Rob concluded.

Alan opened the passenger's door and got inside. He had cleaned up most of the glass before driving it to work, but there was still some in there, so he was careful. He made his way across the seat until he was in front of the steering wheel.

Rob had walked around the back of the car, and then toward the door Alan had just opened. It was still open, so he leaned over and peered inside.

"Are you coming?" Alan asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Rob joked, as he got inside and closed the car door.

Alan started the car, but it didn't turn over. After trying again, there was still nothing but a clicking noise.

"Sounds like you have a battery problem," Rob observed, laughing.

Alan let the keys hang in the ignition and glared at him.

"Hmmm . . . okay . . . so, you already knew that," Rob said, uneasily.

Alan continued to glare.

"I'm always stating the obvious," Rob added.

Alan said nothing.

"I'm Captain Obvious," Rob said, holding up his hands triumphantly.

Still, Alan said nothing.

"Sorry," Rob sighed.

"Are you done now?"

"Yep," Rob answered quickly. "Want to take my truck?"

"What a good idea," Alan said, rolling his eyes.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellie opened her eyes and decided her time could be better spent doing a little paper work. She got up with the intention of using the office computer, but then thought it would be a better idea to just bring out a notebook and handwrite some things, since it was such a nice afternoon.

She walked into the office, said a quick hello to Jack, and then walked toward the computer desk. Jack was only supposed to be a temporary guest, but it turned out that Margaret had moved into a senior citizen apartment and she wasn't allowed pets. Since she had no immediate family, Ellie had offered to keep Jack with the promise that Margaret could come to visit him when she had the time. Of course, having a permanent guest didn't sit well with Alan at first, but Jack was growing on him. She had even witnessed him talking and laughing at Jack once or twice, so all was not lost.

Passing the mirror that was hanging up on the nearest wall, Ellie caught her reflection. She stopped and came back to the mirror, glancing in it and noticing the bruising on her face and arms. There had only been a few scrapes and scratches the night before, but now they had turned into very ugly-colored bruises. She shook her head, as she gathered her notebook and pen and left the office, walking toward the kitchen.

She grabbed some apple juice out of the refrigerator and smiled as she held up the container. Earlier that morning, she had promised Alan she would eat and drink heathy and she was keeping that promise . . . sort of. She grabbed a chocolate donut on the way out, too, smiling like a child who knew they had done something bad.

Walking toward the front door, she had her head down while she thumbed through the notebook. Suddenly, she felt like someone was there, so she looked up.

A strange bearded man stood on the porch, peering into the house. His clothes were not very clean and his short sleeved black shirt had quite a few tears in it. What had caught Ellie's immediate attention though, was the very anxious look on his face.

"Can I help you?" She asked, instantly seeing that something didn't look right in the man's eyes.

The man nodded and smiled evilly. Unlike his unkept appearance, his teeth were clean and sparkling, which made the smile all the more unsettling. He reached out and opened the screen door to the house. Ellie didn't have much time to think, as the man began to rush toward her. She was in the middle of the living room when he closed in on the space that was between them.

She threw her notebook at him and gripped the pen like a weapon. He easily ducked out of the way of the flying notebook and then smiled again, as he glanced at the pen she was holding.

"I love a struggle," he teased, taking quick well-timed swipes toward her hand.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Greg Diamond had lost track of the bum at a red light. He cursed as he began to speed down the two lane highway, looking for the man's new mode of transportation. That morning, the bum had purchased an expensive motorcycle and Greg had been watching him all afternoon, hoping the man would heed his warnings. It didn't look like he was going to do that, though.

The man had spotted Greg following him. When the motorcycle came to a slow stop at a red light, the man gunned the accelerator and blasted through the intersection, maneuvering down a narrow alley. Greg still couldn't believe how easy it was for the man to give him the slip.

After cruising down the small stretch of highway twice, thinking that he may have just been hiding somewhere close by, Greg gave up on the search. Cursing again at his own foolishness for following so close behind, Greg made his way to the Grant home, which was only a few miles away.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man continued to taunt Ellie, as he slowly closed the front door and locked it.

"And to think, I was just going to hang out and wait for an opportunity," the man began.

"What do you want?" Ellie asked, backing out of the living room.

"Imagine my surprise when I found you home," he commented, ignoring the question. "Alone!"

"Stay away from me," she demanded, but the strong voice she intended to use faltered near the end.

"Things are, indeed, more fun for me this way. But it would be easier for you if you would just put down the pen and surrender peacefully."

Looking around the room, she tried to concentrate so that she could find a way out of the situation. Since no one was going to come to her rescue, she needed to figure out something. The back door . . . in the kitchen. She believed she could make it out before he would be able to do anything.

She turned and sprinted toward the kitchen.

  


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Only a few blocks from his street, Alan craned his neck to the left, toward a car that was getting ready to turn onto the highway before Rob's truck.

"What is it?" Rob asked.

"I think that's Greg Diamond," he said in a surprised tone.

Rob watched intently as the white late model pickup turned onto the road in front of them. Instinctively, he slowed down his truck while trying to get a glance at the other driver.

"I think you're right," he said, nodding. He looked at Alan, "What do you want to do?"

"I want to ask him why he's so damn close to my house," Alan answered matter-of-factly. Thinking about it longer, he changed his mind, "On second thought, let's just follow him at a distance. He didn't recognize your truck."

Rob nodded and they cautiously followed the troublemaker.

  


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Ellie made it to the kitchen. She raced past the counter and toward the door. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. After fumbling with the lock, she went for the screen door. She ran out of time. The man grabbed her, spun her around, and pushed her into the counter. If the back door would have been open, and she only had to contend with the screen door, she had a very good chance of escaping. Things didn't work out, though, as she found herself on the floor.

"Too bad that door was locked, eh?" The man teased. "I tried to come in that door, myself. No luck."

She glanced toward the phone, making that her second option, but she needed to detain the man somehow. Leaping up she lifted the pen and stabbed him in the shoulder with it. He groaned and tried to slap her, but she flinched out of the way, causing him to swing at nothing but air. She turned and ran for the phone, reaching it in just seconds. She managed to get the '9' dialed into the phone, before the man recovered and ripped the entire phone from the wall. He took a swing at her, but she ducked, falling to the tiled floor. She made the best of it, as she began to crawl out of the kitchen.

The man didn't seem to be following her very close, which alarmed her a little bit. Not daring to look, she heard the unmistakable sound of one of the butcher knives being removed from the wooden knife holder.

"I'm growing tired of this game," the man said in anger, pulling the pen from his shoulder and throwing it to the floor.

Seconds later, she heard him pull a second knife from the holder.

  


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To Rob and Alan's surprise and dismay, they followed Greg to Alan's street and watched him slow down when he neared his house. Alan was out of Rob's truck before it had even stopped and marched down the street. To Rob's astonishment, and after some yelling and semi-crazy behavior, Alan was able to get Greg to stop his truck. Rob stopped and got out, catching up with Alan before he made it to Greg.

"What were you planning on doing here?" Rob asked, worried.

"I'm going to talk to him," Alan answered, focusing on Greg, who had stopped about three houses away from the Grant home.

"You're not going to kick his ass, right? Because . . . I can't believe I'm saying this . . . because that wouldn't be very smart at this point."

"Rob, get out of the way."

Rob frowned and did what his friend had asked. Alan hurried around him and approached Greg, who was just opening his truck door.

"What do you want?" Greg asked in an angered tone, as he stood up.

"What are you doing here?" Alan questioned, with Rob right beside him.

Greg had a choice to make. He could tell the truth and possibly save Ellie from any harm that he strongly believed was happening as they stood there, and in the process, implicate himself in the whole ordeal. Or, he could lie and rile up Alan, allowing bad things to happen to her, and drive off with the hope of no one ever knowing how involved he was in all of this. There was really no difficulty making the decision when he weighed the two choices. He simply did what was best for himself.

"The last time I looked, it was a free damn country," he stated, slamming his truck door in disgust.

Alan stood there, stewing with anger for several seconds, and then he reacted. He took one step forward and decked Greg as hard as he could, making the taller man fall onto the pavement.

  


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Ellie had crawled back into the living room. She got to her feet and made a run for the front door, but was stopped in her tracks. The man had thrown the smaller knife at her, whizzing it by her head and sticking into the wall next to the door. She tried to scream, but the man was already behind her, wrapping his free hand around her mouth.

"We're going to have a lot of fun . . . you and me," he whispered to her.

He began to drag her toward the hallway. She couldn't do much to stop him, since he had a butcher knife to her throat and she was feeling very helpless as she awaited for the inevitable.

As she was almost out of the living room, she could hear people yelling outside. A renewed hope flowed through her, as she struggled with the man again. The knife cut into her throat a little and that's when she decided to do more than just struggle with him.

Using her leg, she kicked backwards and struck the man in the crotch. Hearing him cough and groan in pain was music to her ears as she managed to get away, but he was blocking her escape route to the front door. She headed for the front window to look outside. There were people arguing in the middle of the street and she was confused, but beyond relieved, to see that one of the men was Alan. She started to open the window and that's when the man tackled her from behind.

"Ala---" She tried to scream, but the man took the breath from her body when he threw her to the floor.

The man flipped Ellie on her back and positioned himself on top of her. Forcing her arms above her head, he pinned her to the floor.

"I'd like to warn you that I have no room preference. This is just as good as any," he huffed.

  


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Greg looked up and saw Alan standing over him, hitting his fist into his other hand.

"Get up!" He yelled to the ex-student.

Rob was standing next to Greg's truck now, looking around to see if people in the neighborhood were watching. Many of them were at work, but there were a few people staring out of their windows.

"Alan," Rob whispered, trying to talk sense into him, "There are people around. People are watching."

Alan ignored him.

"Why in the hell are you driving down my street?" He yelled to Greg.

Greg stood up, nursing his bleeding lip. He glanced around and saw that the bum's motorcycle was parked in front of the house next door to Grant's house. Now that he was sure of a threat inside the house, the choice he had made was a little tougher to advocate. He decided to stick with his plan, so he continued to try and stall the two men.

"I can drive wherever I want to drive. There's no law against driving here!" He shouted so that people could hear him.

  


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This was not going to happen. Pure and simple. Ellie wouldn't allow this to happen when help was so close to the house. After trying to kick him again, she became slightly discouraged, as he had been expecting that, so he easily stopped her. Fright was increasingly being replaced with anger, as she reached out and scratched his eyes. He winced and grasped at both eyes, yelling something she didn't understand. Then, she tried to knee him in the crotch, but he deflected the shot and slapped her again. He grabbed her hair and dragged her toward the knife that was on the floor. He grasped the knife and pressed it against her throat for the second time.

Feeling the blade digging into her skin, she stopped struggling, fearing that he would kill her right then and there. He looked at her and smiled, carefully looking over her entire body as he held her on the floor. When he seemed to lessen his grip on the knife, she attempted one last effort to escape.

"HELP!" She yelled.

The man instantly covered her mouth and she preceded to bite his hand and yell some more.

"ALAN! Help!" She yelled a few times before he covered her mouth again.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alan had been in the middle of yelling something at Greg, when he heard the faint cries for help.

"Was that Ellie?" Rob asked, looking toward the house.

Alan turned back toward Greg, who was smiling.

"Maybe you should go attend to the little misses. Sounds like she may have a problem," Greg taunted.

Alan punched him again, and this time the force of the punch spun Greg around, causing him to accidently hit the large side mirror on his truck. He was knocked out cold.

Not waiting around to see how Greg faired from the attack, Alan sprinted toward his house, with Rob close behind.

"I'll go around the back!" Rob yelled.

  


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Alan made it to the front door and tried to open it. It was locked.

"Ellie?" He shouted, frantically looking for the keys in his pocket.

Ellie sighed with relief when she heard his voice at the door. The man instantly moved away from her.

"Alan, help!" She repeated.

The man stood in the middle of the living room, not sure of what to do. He could either run, or he could take care of this little interruption and get back to what it was that he really desired to do.

Seconds later, Alan had the door open. He stepped inside and saw Ellie on the floor, alone.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded as she looked around the room.

"There's someone here. Some guy. He's got a knife," she whispered.

Alan nodded silently and helped her get to her feet. She was wobbly, but she was able to stand as she latched onto him for support. Turning to look at Alan, she saw the man come out of his hiding place and run toward them, the knife raised in an attack position.

"Alan!" She yelled, pulling him out of the way.

It wasn't necessary though. Rob had come through the back screen door, grabbed a frying pan . . . and walloped the man with it, knocking him to the floor.

The man's knife fell from his hand and Rob jumped on him, punching him in the face repeatedly.

"Attacking women," he said between punches, "isn't very man-like, you stupid son of a bitch!"

The man was barely breathing, much less conscious. Alan pulled Rob off the guy.

Rob's eyes looked crazed as he stood up. He very easily could have killed the man who had harmed one of his good friends.

"Calm down, Rob," Alan pleaded, checking to see if the guy was still breathing.

After hearing Alan's voice, Rob started to come back to reality. His breathing began to stabilize and the anger in his eyes lessened some.

"If you kill him, he can't be arrested," Ellie said softly.

Alan and Rob looked in her direction. She wasn't very stable looking. It looked as if she wanted to break down and cry, but then she was refusing to do so.

"What happened?" Alan asked.

"He walked right into the house and tried to . . . assault me," she said, not really wanting to use the 'rape' word out loud.

"I'm calling the police," Rob stated.

"The phone in the kitchen is broke. Use the one in the office," Ellie said, shivering at the thought of what could have just happened to her.

Rob nodded and walked into the office.

"Who were you arguing with outside?" She asked Alan.

"Greg Diamond," he answered.

"Greg's here? Why?" Ellie asked, running her hand along the small cuts on her neck.

"I don't know yet, but it looks as though he had something to do with the accident and," he gestured toward the man on the floor, "that guy."

Alan stepped closer to her and leaned down a little bit to get a closer look at her cuts. He gently touched her neck.

"How bad is it?" She whispered, lifting up her neck and wincing.

"One of these cuts is bleeding, but the rest are just scratches," he answered.

"I can't believe I almost let some crazed lunatic get the better of me."

"Me neither," Alan said sincerely. "You're a crazed lunatic yourself when you get angry."

Ellie smiled at his attempt at humor and embraced him.

  


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Outside, Greg Diamond began to wake up. Groggily, he reached up toward the truck to latch onto something to help him to his feet. He grabbed the very same side mirror that had knocked him out and lifted himself up, groaning. In the not so far distance, he could hear police sirens.

He glanced over toward the Grant home to see if anyone was watching him. He didn't see anyone, but he wasn't seeing much of anything, as his world continued to spin around him. He opened his truck door, slowly got in, and quietly closed the door. He went to start it and that's when he realized the keys weren't in the ignition.

Suddenly, his truck door opened, causing him to jump. He turned toward the door and saw Rob standing there, smiling. He was playfully tossing keys in his hand. Greg's truck keys.

"Missing something?" Rob curiously asked.

Greg's shoulder's slumped, as he looked in his rear view mirror and saw the red and blue flashing lights turning into the subdivision.

  
  


_July 8, 1993 - Thursday_

  


For the third straight night, Ellie was startled out of a sound sleep by the voice of the stranger that had attempted to assault her. She laid very still in bed, trying not to disturb Alan yet again, but she wasn't doing well emotionally. After having the same dream over and over, she was growing weary of even trying to sleep at all. She would see partial visions of her father's funeral, combined with the headlights violently swerving toward her during the collision a week ago, followed by that haunting laugh of the stranger behind the whole mess. This particular dream was different because, even after she knew she was awake, she could still feel the presence of the man staring at her. She slowly propped herself up on her elbows and dared to glance across the room and toward the doorway.

Standing in the doorway, in the shadows, she saw the man looking at her. He smiled at her and in the darkness she could see only his pearly-white teeth, gleaming at her evilly from across the bedroom. Her breathing came to a halt as she let out a gasp and then stifled a panicked scream. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get the image out of her head, and then glanced back over there.

He was gone. She sighed with relief, getting ready to lie back down. A hand rested on her shoulder and, in her current state , it made her jump and let out a quick, low scream. Immediately, she felt stupid as it was obvious to any sane person that the hand belonged to the man sleeping next to her.

"You okay?" Alan asked.

She answered quickly, trying to stop the questions that were sure to follow.

"I'm fine. Sorry about that. Another bad dream."

He was finally getting used to the dark and he could see that she kept looking toward the bedroom door, so he looked as well. Nothing there. He was thinking about letting it go and allowing his body to go back to sleep, but her persistence in looking toward the door had him curious.

"Something wrong with the door?" He asked, yawning.

She had been looking toward the door right then and had to make a conscious effort to glance toward him.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I'm seeing things. I'm sure of it."

"Seeing what things?"

"At least I hope I'm dreaming it," she added, not listening to him at all.

"What are you seeing by the door?"

"Him," she answered, shivering at the thought.

"I'll go take a look around," Alan said, pushing the covers away.

Ellie reached over and grabbed his bare arm. The man had seemed so real to her. She was almost certain he wasn't there, but there was that slight chance that there was a man in the house staring at her.

"Alan, don't."

"It's okay. I'll take a quick look around and then you'll be able to sleep more calmly."

She let go of his arm, "Okay," she said softly.

He got out of bed, quickly slipped on a pair of jeans that were draped across the top of the dresser, and then moved toward the door.

Ellie remained in bed, nervously watching his every move. He made it to the doorway and peered into the hallway. He flipped on the light switch located directly across from the doorway, casting some light into the bedroom. Looking to the right and then to the left, he turned back toward her.

"There's nothing here."

As he said the words, she didn't even realize that she had been holding her breath. When he gave the all-clear announcement, she exhaled in great relief as he started to walk back into the bedroom.

He had left the hallway light on. She was about to suggest turning it off, when a blurred figure came running up behind him.

"Alan!" She screamed, sitting up in the bed.

He whirled around and looked his would-be attacker right in the eye. The man produced a butcher knife and lunged at Alan, who grabbed onto the man and pushed him backwards. The man hit the wall in the hallway and instantly bounced back, attacking him again. This time he struck Alan in the chest with the large knife. Alan gasped for breath and fell against the door of the bedroom, producing an echo from the door hitting the wall so hard.

"NOOO!" Ellie screamed, closing her eyes for a second.

"Ellie!" She heard him yell to her.

After hearing his voice, she reopened her eyes and was shocked at what she saw. He was in the bed, leaning over her with a concerned look on his face. He didn't look hurt. He didn't look on the brink of death.

"Alan?" She whispered in complete and utter disbelief.

He smiled, but the concern in his eyes was still there. He was sitting on top of the covers and was wearing a pair of jeans. His chest was bare and there were no signs of knife wounds or blood.

"Yeah, it's me Alan," he answered softly.

She was finally starting to understand what was going on, as she further awoke from the nightmare. The fear still lingering in her subconscious, her eyes darted to the bedroom doorway. There was nothing there. She looked back at Alan and reached out, grabbing him tightly and wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her shaking body in his arms, helping her sit up.

"It's okay, it was just a dream," he whispered in her ear.

She began to cry, her head resting on his bare shoulder. She couldn't help but notice that the hallway light was illuminated.

"Why is the light on?" She asked, still frantically looking around the room for the man she knew had to be hiding in there somewhere.

"I got up to get a glass of water, so I turned on the light. Then I decided to do a little paperwork. I must have forgotten to turn it off. Sorry."

"It's okay," she said through a few tears.

"Then, just a few seconds ago, I heard you scream in your sleep, so I ran in here," he added, still holding her tightly and rocking her back and forth. He could feel the shaking subside a little bit now, which alleviated some of his concern.

"That man," she began to say. She took a deep breath and continued to hold onto him, "That man was here . . . and he killed you. It was so real, Alan."

"There's no one here, Ellie. Just you and I." She continued to cry. He moved his hands back and forth, gently across her back. "You want me to take another look around the house?"

"No!" She shouted adamantly, squeezing him harder.

"Okay, okay. I won't," he said, again whispering in her ear, trying to soothe her anxiety. "That guy is rotting in jail now, he's not going to bother you anymore."

A long silence passed between them and Alan thought she may have fallen asleep in the embrace. He freed one of his arms and readjusted her pillow, gently lowering her body to the bed and placing her head on it. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was soft and stable again, so he began to get out of the bed.

With her eyes still closed, she grabbed his arm, "Where are you going?"

"To turn off the light," he softly answered.

"Could you just leave it on? I'll feel better," she said. It was mostly a lie. She didn't want him to go anywhere near the bedroom doorway.

"Okay," he whispered.

Deciding he would organize his scattered paperwork tomorrow, he laid down next to her, adjusting the covers over his body. She still had a grip on his arm and when he was situated, she rolled over on her side and extended her arm across his chest. Seconds later, her head was resting on his shoulder.

"I wish I could help in some way," he whispered, gently kissing her forehead.

"You're helping right now," she commented, closing her eyes and savoring the moment of peace. She grasped his hand and squeezed it extra tight, an act that allowed herself to relax some. "I wish these awful dreams would stop."

"They will. Just give it some time, Ellie. It hasn't even been a week."

"I know."

  
  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha

  
  
  


Thanks for reading. Only one chapter to go! :)


	32. Chapter 32: I See My Fifty Thousand A Ye

  


Chapter 32: I See My Fifty Thousand A Year Is Well Spent

  


_July 9, 1993 - Friday_

  


After spending what seemed like a short time on the computer in the office, Ellie leaned back in her chair, stretching her back and neck. This particular room of the house was beginning to be where she spent all of her free time when they were in Glasgow. She was putting the finishing touches on a research paper, and was relieved to see the project come to an end after a full month of preparation. Slowly turning around in the chair, she glanced at the clock on the far wall. The time it indicated was astonishing to her, a quarter to midnight. The last time she had checked it had been around eight-thirty in the evening.

Still turned around, she looked around the room taking everything in. Being that it was nearly midnight, the house was very much at peace and for the most part, quiet. Jack's cage was in the corner of the room and even he was silent. She noticed that the sheet was draped over his cage and smiled as she realized that Alan must have gone over there and covered it, a feat that she had totally missed.

As she had been hard at work, Alan had been watching television in the same room, but now the television was the only thing that remained on and alert. He was sound asleep, stretched out on the sofa. This was the sofa from her apartment. Just about everything in this room was from her apartment, she realized. She had talked him into finishing the master bedroom and turning it into an office, so it was only natural that she had gotten her furniture out of storage and used most of it here.

Trying to reel her scattered thoughts in, she fixated her tired gaze back on Alan. She slowly took her glasses off, and blindly set them on the computer desk behind her. Smiling warmly, she studied him. His head was propped up on a cushion, with one arm kind of hanging off the sofa, suspended in mind air. His other arm was resting on his chest, against his rumpled clothes. Ellie found it amusing that he didn't even bother getting out of his work clothes, right down to his work boots. She remembered when he had entered the room, but had no idea what time that was, as she hardly paid attention to him. She had been very engrossed in the words on the screen at the time, and was now wondering if he had fallen asleep, disappointed with her lack of interest. She decided that he probably didn't care, mostly because that idea made her feel better. Besides, he had a bad habit of bringing his work to bed, and in her opinion, that was much worse than ignoring someone in the computer office . . . where the work was intended to be done.

She turned back around and hit the "save" button on the screen, and then powered down the computer. A part of the light present in the room dissipated, as the monitor went black. She slowly pushed the chair back and stood up, stretching again as she did so. Walking across the room, she reached down and gently touched Alan on the shoulder.

"Hey, wake up," she whispered. After thinking for a second, she laughed as she added, "Time to go to bed."

His eyes opened quicker than she thought they would have opened. After focusing on her, he smiled and then he looked around the room.

"What time is it?" He asked, still groggy, slowly sitting up.

"Almost midnight," she said, offering her hand to him.

He took it and she helped him to his feet. He looked very rough around the edges, making her feel kind of bad for him, considering what had happened during the daytime. One of the tourists had stepped on a delicate fossil before Alan had gotten the chance to remove it. The look on his face was worth a thousand angry words, but to his credit, he only shook his head and walked away in silence.

"I'm really sorry about bringing all of those inexperienced volunteers to the dig site, Alan."

He was beginning to wake up a little bit now, as he hugged her. It was somewhat of a strange gesture, but Ellie hugged him back.

"It's okay. We needed the money, anyway. A few destroyed fossils are no big deal."

Ellie laughed uneasily and was about to respond, when Alan's face lit up and he interrupted her thoughts.

"Want to take some time off and not come back until next week?" He asked out of the blue.

Ellie stared at him, thinking he had lost his mind.

"What about the raptors?" She asked.

"I don't know."

"What about Bob Morris from the EPA?"

"I don't know about that, either," he answered, frowning and yawning.

"Alan, you're going to have to talk to him and get it over with."

Alan stretched his arms and yawned again, causing his eyes to water a little bit.

"He can wait," he finally stated, then he added, "And the raptors . . . well, I'm sure by tomorrow, some other idiot will trip and accidently jackhammer one of them to obliteration or something, so we may as well just get the hell out of here."

All of the bantering back and forth had disturbed Jack, and Ellie could hear the parrot stirring in the covered cage. Ignoring the smart aleck part of Alan's comment, she decided that a lateral shift in subject was a good idea. If they continued on the way there were, there would be an argument in a matter of a few more words, she was sure of it.

"And . . . who will care for Jack?" She asked, gesturing toward his cage.

Still having Jack was a sore spot with Alan, but Ellie brought it up anyway. 

"Jack can take care of Jack."

"Alan," she scolded, crossing her arms.

"What?" He asked in an innocent way. "We can get Rob to throw some food in his cage every other day or something."

"He eats every day, Alan."

"Whatever."

Ellie remained quiet, thinking about the possibility of getting away from it all for a week.

"I don't know," she sighed.

Alan tried a different approach.

"Weren't you the one complaining that we've become boring and do the same thing, over and over?"

"Well, yeah."

"And aren't you the one who said I should try and relax and get away from it all?"

"Yes."

"So, what is wrong with a mini vacation?"

"Where would we go?"

He had her attention now. He had her approval to go somewhere. All that was left to do was to tell her where. He smiled, drew in a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly.

"I have no idea," he finally said.

"I can see how well planned all of this was," she observed, chuckling.

He briefly thought about all of the fossils found recently. They would need his attention, so he reluctantly arrived at the more sensible conclusion . . . which coincided with her conclusion.

"You're probably right. We need to stay with the raptors," he admitted, sadly sighing.

Ellie gently touched his arm. She didn't know what was going on in his head, so all she had to work with was his abrupt change of attitude.

"You go from one extreme to the other," she said, smiling coyly at him.

"I'm a man of many facets. One of which just wants to go to sleep."

"And the others? Do any of the others feel like fixing the lock on the back door tomorrow?"

"Well, that particular one is out to lunch I'm afraid, but one of the others . . . " Alan began, and then after a big yawn, continued, "wants nothing more to do with those damn tourists and their damn kids."

Ellie laughed, "My, my . . . aren't we negative?"

Alan smirked, and then allowed a smile to develop upon his face.

"I'm a fairly positive person," he countered.

"I know that."

"You are so very confusing to a person who is half-asleep. Could we just talk about . . . whatever it is we're talking about . . . later?"

She smiled at him and he thought she looked absolutely beautiful as she said, "Okay."

"Good."

"I'll be sure to remind you later, since you'll conveniently forget about it."

"Oh, yes. You're absolutely right, yet again," Alan finally said.

"If I didn't think you were talking mostly in your sleep, I would take that as a sarcastic comment."

"Take it anyway you like. I'm going to sleep," he said, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead.

She watched him walk out of the room. She stood there for a minute, and then shut the television off and quietly said good-night to Jack. She lazily walked through the hallway and entered the bedroom. He was already in the bed and it looked as if he was already sleeping. Getting into the bed, she situated the blankets and then draped her arm over his chest, like almost always. She found it comforting to feel his rhythmic breathing while he slept. She closed her eyes and found her way to the dream world pretty quick.

  
  
  


_July 12, 1993 - Monday_

  


Somewhere in the distance, a loud booming noise was heard, echoing through the area. As Ellie turned her head toward the noise, Alan noticed the remnants of the knife wounds on her neck. They were only barely there, but still visible from a certain angle. When she turned back toward him, she saw where he was looking, so she instinctively lifted a hand to her neck to cover them.

"Don't start on me again," she warned.

"Did I say anything?" He questioned, a look of innocence upon his face.

"You're saying plenty without using words and you know it," she stated.

"I think . . ."

"You think what?" Ellie questioned in a defensive way.

"I just think that you are very set in your ways. You need to listen to what other people have to say every once in a while. The fact that you don't really angers me," Alan said.

Immediately, even before he looked toward Ellie, he knew that she would take that entirely the wrong way. She hadn't been in the best of moods since the attack. He was very aware of that, yet he decided to say something stupid anyway. He briefly closed his eyes, wondering why he didn't try to think before he spoke, for once.

"I have my own way of looking at things. That's true," Ellie admitted. Alan was surprised that she didn't go for his throat. "But, there's nothing wrong with that." Alan sighed, realizing that he had, indeed, upset her. "You should try to respect other people's opinions a little bit more, especially opinions about themselves. Don't you think?" She challenged, glaring at him.

"Sure."

"I hate it when you do that," she said angrily.

"Do what?"

"Start a damn argument and then run from it."

It was Alan's turn to get defensive.

"I'm not running from anything," he stated coldly.

Ellie chose her words carefully.

"You are always trying to make peace. You're always trying to get out of fighting."

"What is wrong with that?"

"Sometimes it's good to fight, Alan."

"So, what do you want me to do? Call you names so that you can get angry?" Ellie rolled her eyes. "Okay. Fine. You're a foolish your-way-or-the-highway insane woman!" He shouted, amused slightly at his choice of insults.

Ellie could honestly go either way here, and he was somewhat taken aback by the way she was staring at him. She was simply staring and not saying a word. Finally, she cracked a smile.

"You're impossible."

"No, you are," he countered, secretly relieved that she took that in a positive way.

Rob approached them as their argument was coming to a close. Ellie was shaking her head, as if to show that Alan was wrong, but she wasn't going to press it further. They stopped bickering and looked at him.

"Oh, please don't stop on my account. I love a good fight."

"What's up, Rob?" Alan asked, happy that they were interrupted.

"Bob Morris isn't coming today either."

"What was the excuse this time?" Ellie snapped.

"Whoa. Don't bite the hand that . . . " Rob lost where he was going, "that . . . feeds the dog . . . uh, feeds the news to you . . . or whatever. Seriously though, I don't know. I haven't even talked to him. His secretary keeps calling,"

"That makes twice that he's postponed and I'm getting a little worried," Alan said.

"Worried?" Rob asked.

"Yeah. The guy calls and requests to meet with me to talk about the Hammond Foundation, seems very rushed to do so, and then just keeps cancelling meetings? It's a little disturbing."

"Well, when you put it that way, I see your point," Rob stated, "But I think it's out of our hands. When he gets here, he gets here, so quit worrying."

"For once, I totally agree with the Robster," Ellie said, smiling.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, young lady," Rob said proudly. After watching her smile at him, he added, "Wanna go out sometime? You understand me."

"No, she doesn't," Alan answered for her.

"No, she doesn't understand me? Or no, she doesn't want to go out with me?"

"No, on both accounts," Alan answered.

Again, Alan and Ellie were staring at each other, so Rob cleared his throat and tried to put a stop to the awkwardness. If whatever was bothering them would get out into the open, it would be much better in his opinion.

"So, what were you guys fighting about?" He asked innocently.

"He thinks I should be at home resting like someone devastated by what had happened to them, like they should be afraid to face the real world."

"That's not exactly what I said."

"So," she replied, almost challenging him.

"I said that I thought it was too early for you to come back to work, since you're so sore. Sore from the truck accident and the attack, both."

"I'm fine," Ellie insisted.

Rob laughed.

"Well, maybe Alan has a point."

"He does?"

"Maybe," Rob answered quietly, afraid to get her upset.

"I take back what I said about you, then," Ellie joked.

"Hey, no fair," Rob complained. After a brief moment where the three of them laughed, he continued, "Ellie, if you're still not feeling one hundred percent like yourself, maybe you should go see a psychologist or a psychiatrist."

"I don't think so."

"They're not awful people, you know. They only want to help," Rob offered.

"Rob dated a psychiatrist for a short time," Alan added.

Ellie looked at Rob and laughed.

"Really?"

"Why is that funny?" Rob challenged.

"I think you know why."

"Yeah, good point. Well, anyway. Yes, it's true. I did. But . . . short time . . . that's an understatement," he admitted.

"Why? What happened?" Ellie asked, truly curious.

"Well, she took a few weeks to get to know me . . ."

"And that was more than enough time for her to decide to run," Alan said, snickering.

Rob hit him in the arm, protesting his friend's simple . . . yet true . . . explanation.

"But," he said, pointing toward Alan, "She did say that she thought it would be a very good idea if I would continue to see her . . . professionally."

Ellie was always so easily amused by Rob's perception on things and this was no exception.

"And did you?" She asked, laughing.

"Yeah, for a little wh---" Rob stopped himself from continuing his thought, "You know, this is about you. Not me. You should go and see her if you're not feeling like yourself."

"Thanks, Rob. Maybe I will."

"You're very tricky, getting me to pour my heart and soul out to you."

"It wasn't so hard really," she admitted.

"Women," Rob said, sighing.

"Men are no picnic either," Ellie added.

"Hey," Alan said in defiance.

"So, do you want her number?" Rob asked, changing the subject while Alan and Ellie stared at each other for a moment.

She glanced at Alan, and then back toward Rob. The two men standing before her were the most important men in her life and they were both looking at her, waiting for a response. She knew they were just trying to help, so it wouldn't hurt to get the number.

"Sure," she said, nodding.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie followed him to his trailer. He opened the door and went inside, and then noticed she wasn't following.

"Come on. Nothing in here will bite." She smiled and walked inside, and then he added ". . . much."

Rolling her eyes, Ellie smiled at him and then began to take in her new surroundings. It was pretty messy in the trailer, with various science experiments scattered about the counters and his clothes piled up all over the place. The thing she found more curious than anything, besides his lack of using drawers to store his clothes, were the newspaper clippings on several of the walls.

"What's with all the clippings?" She asked.

"Oh, just some bits of data I like to collect. Quite fascinating, actually."

She noticed one in particular, hanging on the lower half of the refrigerator, taking up quite a bit of space. She stopped to look at it.

"Space aliens stole my face?" She read out loud.

"Well, okay . . . so a few of them aren't very scientifically accurate, per say."

"Yeah."

"But! You never know! Aliens could have come here and stolen that man's face, Ellie. There's just no way of knowing these things."

"Where's the number, Rob?" Ellie asked.

"I can see you're one of those disbelievers. Fine. But, when the aliens take over the planet, don't come crying to me."

"I won't."

Rob frowned, so Ellie felt compelled to explain further.

"I'm not a disbeliever. I've been told that my father was very much a fan of the supernatural. I just find it hard to fathom, since there's no real proof and only a bunch of speculation."

"That's true."

"As a scientist, I need to see the proof, I guess." 

"Fair enough," Rob conceded, nodding and walking toward the phone.

"Okay," he said, glancing at the answering machine and noticing it indicated that he had two messages. Ignoring that for a moment, he continued rambling to himself, "Phone number . . . of the shrink who loved me for like a day. Ah! Here it is!"

He reached under the phone and pulled out a black book.

"Oh, God. Those stupid black books really do exist," Ellie teased.

"Hey, shut it!" He said in a joking manner. "Every woman I've ever had the pleasure of . . . meeting . . . is in this book."

Ellie laughed.

"Not funny!" He exclaimed, pointing at her, "This thing is like a diary. Yes! That's it! It's like a male version of that cheesy diary you females seem to fancy."

Ellie just smiled at him. He made a goofy face, and then pressed the flashing message button on the answering machine. The first message was a hang up call. Kara's voice came on the machine for the second message.

"Hey jerk," she said as if that were a fact, "I need to know what you're doing in August. August 7th to be exact. I'm going to have a party, celebrating my new job. So, call me, Robster. Or I'll have to sic Dad on you."

Kara's threat ended in a maniacal laugh, which made Rob laugh in return.

"Oh, isn't she the little evil-doer?" He commented, shaking his head.

"I didn't know she got a new job," Ellie mentioned.

"Alan didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Alan knew?" Ellie asked, surprised for some reason.

Rob took a good look at her, before he said another word. In his mind, she and Alan had been having some sort of fight just before this, so she may have been looking for something to call Alan on. It also seemed that Ellie's question had more meaning to it than met the eye, with women's intuition and all of that. Or . . . Rob's radar could have been totally off, yet again, which was probably the case. Still, he decided to tread the waters lightly.

"Uh. Yeah."

Ellie shrugged her shoulders, looking like she dismissed the intuition thing that was really only in Rob's mind anyway, "So, what is she going to do?"

"About what?" Rob asked, confused.

Ellie smiled, mostly at the look on his face. He was acting really odd.

"What will she be doing in her new job, Rob?"

"Oh, that. Yes, well . . . I don't really know. Something with computers."

"Are you okay?"

He had the sudden urge to spill his guts to her about his sister and Alan. It was right at the tip of his tongue . . . and then he came to his senses.

"I think I'm coming down with something. I just don't feel very good."

"What's the matter?"

"Sniffling, coughing," Rob began to say, and then he smiled and added, "sneezing, aching, night time stuffy, can't rest."

"Uh huh," Ellie said, crossing her arms.

"Know anything for that?" Ellie laughed and rolled her eyes. "You know, you do that a lot. Rolling your eyes. It's not good for you. Your eyes could stay like that," Rob pointed out.

"And you shouldn't drink in the afternoon."

"Ouch. Low blow. True, though, I suppose. Only, today you are incorrect, missy!"

"I've gotta get going here," she said.

Rob reached for a scrap piece of paper, wrote down the psychiatrist's number, and presented it in front of her. She stared at the piece of paper, but didn't make an attempt to take it, so he picked up her hand and placed the paper there for her. His usual clown-like demeanor disappeared.

"Call her. I think you could use the help, Ellie. Most people live their whole lives, not going through what you did in those two days, so it's normal for you to be feeling some anxiety. Just promise me that you'll think about it."

Ellie nodded, "Okay. I'll think about it."

"Hopefully, the rest of your life will be filled with love, happiness and boredom . . . and a lot less of intense situations and close calls."

"I hope so, too."

"Sappy romance is much better than running from crazed assholes with knives."

"Good point. I couldn't agree more," she said, hugging him, "Thanks again, Rob."

"Anytime," he said softly.

Ellie turned and walked out of the unkept trailer.

  
  
  


_July 16, 1993 - Friday_

  


Stretched out on the ground, Alan stared at the ancient claw of a creature he had long since admired. He had found the claw only about ten minutes before, and now that was the only thing he was focused on. There were a handful of other volunteers kneeling in the dirt near him, assisting with the digging. Ellie was lying beside him, carefully wrapping a different section of the fossil, when they were interrupted by one of Brian's workers.

"Dr. Grant. Dr. Sattler. We're ready to try again," he said, as he walked up the small hill where they had been for most of the day.

Alan stood up.

"I hate computers," he grumbled.

Ellie stood up next to him, smiling.

"The feeling's mutual," she teased.

He stared at her for a second, and then decided to just get the computer thing over with. They walked down the hill and toward the small tent ahead of them. Brian was under the tent and he was looking to his right. Alan followed his gaze and found himself looking at two men standing a little way from the tent, fiddling with a strange looking contraption. It was orange in color and looked like a modified hand cart.

"Brian," he said, frowning. Brian had already been typing something into the computer again. He stopped and looked at Alan. "What the hell is that?" Alan asked, pointing toward the two men.

Brian glanced back over there.

"Ready?" He asked one of the men.

The closer man nodded by pulling the brim of his hat down.

"This is a new and improved dynamite system. We like to call it 'thumper'," Brian said proudly.

"What are you going to blow up?" Alan asked, really not sure if he wanted an answer.

Brian smiled.

"Thumper will send vibrations through the ground, allowing an image to bounce back up to the computer, and then---"

"That's enough for me, thank you," Alan interrupted, holding up a hand.

Brian nodded and added, "We've tested this system several times and it works much better than the other system from last month, Dr. Grant."

Alan was already walking toward the two men about to detonate the ground. He watched them load what looked like a bullet into the device and then it erupted, causing the ground to shake.

The sun getting to him, Alan took off his hat and then stepped back toward the tent. There was a slight shadow lingering underneath the tent, so he removed his sunglasses and tucked them in his shirt pocket.

"How long does this usually take?" Ellie asked, leaning over Brian's shoulder and taking off her own sunglasses.

"It should bring an immediate return. You shoot the radar into the ground and the bone bounces the image back . . . bounces it back," Brian said the last part to himself as he fumbled with a few more bottoms. A few seconds later, he was satisfied with the image he was getting, "This new program is incredible. A few more years of development and we won't even have to dig anymore."

"Where's the fun in that?" Alan teased, frowning again.

Ellie smiled and reached over, playfully squeezing his arm, "Shush."

"It's a little distorted, but I don't think it's the computer," Brian said, studying the image and ignoring Alan's reply.

Ellie moved next to Brian and joined him in studying the image. After a few blips on the screen, a nicely detailed image appeared, showing the complete skeletal remains of one of the many ancient creatures known to be in Montana.

"Highly modified pedal digit II bearing a greatly enlarged trenchant ungual," Ellie said, pointing to a place on the image.

Alan had remained farther back, leaning on a wooden pole holding the tent upright, but when Ellie started with her analysis, he moved closer to her.

"Velociraptor_ antirrhopus_?" She asked.

With her question, he made his way to the computer screen.

"Yeah, good shape, too. It's about five feet high. I'm guessing nine feet long," he answered, almost astonished to be able to see it so clearly. He reached out and gently pointed at the computer screen as he continued, "And look at the extraordinary---"

The computer image became very distorted as static ran through it.

"What did you do?" Brian asked, confused.

"He touched it." As she said that, he placed his hand on the cardboard that was over the screen and that caused another distortion. "Dr. Grant's not machine compatible," Ellie added, laughing.

"Hell, they've got it in for me," Alan complained softly to himself, shaking his head. After a beat, he went on, "And look at the semilunate radiale with an assymetrical proximal ginglymus . . . plus the oval wedge-shaped ulnare. It's no wonder these guys learned how to fly."

Some of the tourists began to laugh under their breath. Alan, determined to show these people his way of thinking, became defensive.

"No, seriously," he debated, "Show of the hands. How many of you have read my book?"

Everyone stopped laughing and looked away. Ellie raised her hand in support, as did three other volunteers.

"All right," Alan said, sighing, "Well, maybe dinosaurs have more in common with present-day birds, than they do with reptiles. Look at the pubic bone, laterally compressed pubic boot angled back and ventrally, just like a bird. Look at the vertebrae full of air sacs and hollows, just like a bird. And even the word Raptor means . . . bird of prey."

"That doesn't look very scary," one of the children interrupted from behind the crowd.

The crowd began to disburse, revealing a slightly overweight young boy with a disbelieving look on his face.

"That kid is a pistol," One of the male volunteers said, laughing.

"More like a six-foot turkey," the kid added.

"A turkey, huh?" Alan repeated, eyeing the child standing before him.

"Oh, no," Ellie sighed, as she watched him cautiously walk over to the boy.

"So," Alan began and then gestured toward the kid, "Got a name?"

"Kevin. Kevin Donavin," the boy proudly answered.

"Well, Mr. Donavin. Let me tell you a little story . . ."

Ellie could see that he was probably thinking that strangling the kid would be a good idea, but then she shook her head as he had obviously decided to go with scare tactics instead. She watched him position himself in front of the boy, as he began his "velociraptor speech", telling the boy about the hunting patterns of one of the most dangerous creatures ever to walk the planet. She had heard it before, but in this particular case he was more into it than she had ever seen. At first the kid sighed with boredom, but as the story progressed his demeanor changed, giving away to slight fear. As the crowd looked on and listened, she grimaced when Alan removed a raptor claw from his pocket and started to "slash" at the boy's mid section, mimicking an attack from the ancient world.

"Oh, Alan," she whispered to herself, shaking her head.

The boy's smile was very much gone now, as Alan finished his speech.

"The point is, you are alive when they start to eat you. So, you know, try to show a little respect?"

The boy shook his head, not taking his frightened eyes of the mad scientist in front of him.

"Okay," he simply said.

Grinning from ear to ear, Alan nodded and turned away from the boy.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


"Hey, Alan. If you wanted to scare the kid, you could have pulled a gun on him, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Kids. You want to have one of those?"

"I don't want that kid. But a breed of child Dr. Grant could be intriguing," she said, walking closer to him, "I mean, what's so wrong with kids?"

"Oh, Ellie. Look, they're noisy, they're messy. They're expensive."

"Cheap, cheap," she whispered, shaking her head.

Just then, Brian's little daughter ran up to them.

"Miss Ellie, Cody won't let me read his dinosaur book."

Alan looked down at the little girl. She had dirt on her little dress and a chocolate bar in her left hand that was melting in the heat of the day.

"Case in point," he whispered to Ellie, motioning towards the little annoyance for emphasis.

"Oh, shut up," she said, smiling. She knelt down next to Megan, "Maybe if you washed your hands, I could show you a really neat dinosaur book. That has a lot of cool pictures."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Okay!" Megan shouted. She turned and ran away from them.

"How charming," Alan quipped.

"Hey," Ellie said, hitting him in the arm, "You were just crying that no one had read your book a minute ago, so now someone is going to read it."

"She's only like six. I doubt she can read."

"She can just look at the pictures, then," she said, and then she added, "Stop complaining about everything. She's cute."

"Oh, sure she is. From way over there, she is. And where is her brother? Do you have anyone watching his every move?"

"You're impossible."

"Impossible? I don't think so. That kid thinks this place is a giant sandbox."

"It frustrates me so much that I love you, that I need to strangle you right now," Ellie said.

Playfully, she took off his hat and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding his hat behind him. He reached around her waist and kissed her with such intensity and strength, that he caught her off guard, managing to get her to lose her balance and sway backward. Firmly holding her in his arms, he looked at her and laughed.

"Weak in the knees?" He teased.

"Sure. If that's what you need to think."

As their bickering was turning into flirting, a strange wind began to whip around. They released each other, and looked around, spotting a helicopter in the distance. It was getting lower and closer by the minute, until they finally realized it was landing in the middle of the dig site.

Alan's anger was animated as he began to shout over the helicopter's approaching engine.

"Cover the site!" 

Ellie began to run in a slightly different direction, shouting with just as much eagerness.

"Get some canvasses and cover anything that's exposed!"

Volunteers, students and tourists within hearing distance began to frantically run around, trying to stop the blowing dirt from filling in everything that had been dug out. Months of hard work were quickly going to waste.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Running up to the helicopter, Alan ducked and approached the pilot's door.

"Just cut it will ya?!" He yelled, making a cutting gesture across his throat.

The pilot shouted something and pointed toward somewhere unknown.

"Cut it out! Shut it down!" Alan shouted, now making that same cutting gesture with both hands with even more intensity.

Again, the pilot pointed away from the helicopter.

"What?" Alan yelled, puzzled.

Since the man was so insistent on pointing, Alan decided to look. He was pointing toward one of the trailers. Rob Tandy's trailer. The man was telling Alan that the person he wanted to yell at was in the trailer.

Alan looked back at the pilot, nodded and began to rush away from the helicopter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jogging down a small hill, he headed for Rob's trailer, angrily pushing away someone's clothes that were hanging up on a nearby line. A few onlookers gave him strange looks as he opened the door with a vengeance and stormed inside. As he let the screen door shut behind him, he saw an older gentleman peeking into the refrigerator.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in here?" He shouted.

The bearded man, with white hair and clothes to match, turned around. He had a bottle of champagne in his hands and he was opening it as he turned to face Alan. The sound of the cork popping filled the small trailer. 

"Hey, we were saving that!" Alan shouted again.

"For today, I guarantee it," the smiling man promised.

After standing in place for a second and trying to get his anger under control, Alan finally gave up and approached the man.

"Who in God's name do you think you are?" Alan questioned, pointing at him.

"John Hammond," the man said as he shook his finger that was still extended in an accusation style, "And I'm delighted to finally meet you in person, Dr. Grant."

He took his hand away and nonchalantly blew the dust from it. Alan began to repeat the man's last name to himself, while Hammond was looking around the small trailer.

"I see my fifty thousand a year has been well spent," he said cheerfully, walking toward the sink. He grabbed a pink dishtowel and began to wipe the frost from the bottle.

"Okay, who's the jerk?" Ellie asked, bursting into the trailer.

"Uh, this is our paleobotantist, Doctor . . . " Alan lost his train of thought, as he stared at the man who was responsible for the entire dig site.

He reached toward Ellie, who was all the way inside Rob's trailer now. She finished his sentence, "Sattler."

"Sattler," Alan repeated, smiling.

"Ah ha," Hammond said, acknowledging her and ignoring her misplaced shouting.

"Ellie," Alan said, clinching her arm, "This is Mr. Hammond," and then he whispered to her, "John . . . Hammond."

As Ellie was figuring out what was going on, Hammond walked up to her.

"Sorry about that dramatic entrance, Dr. Sattler," he apologized as he shook her hand.

"Did I say jerk?" Ellie said, shrugging and looking embarrassed.

Hammond finished his sentence, "But we're in a wee bit of a hurry."

Ellie stared, not knowing what was expected of her next. Hammond took over though.

"Will you have a drink?" He asked, holding up the champagne bottle. "We won't let it get warm. Come along, sit down."

By this time, Hammond was already on his way to the cupboards for glasses for the champagne. Ellie quickly followed behind him, trying to help.

"Here let me . . ." she said, trailing off and setting her hat on the table.

"I'll just get a glass or two," Hammond said.

Ellie walked toward Hammond and tried to help. There were several long wooden tables set up, every inch covered with bone specimens that are neatly laid out, tagged, and labeled. Farther along were ceramic dishes and crocks, soaking other bones in acid and vinegar.

"There are samples all over the place," she explained, as she looked around suddenly wishing that Rob's trailer was a little neater.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. I can manage this," Hammond insisted, placing a hand on her back.

Alan stood in place, watching the two for a moment. Then he made his way behind the table, continuing to silently observe, a smile slowly creeping upon his face.

"I know my way around the kitchen," Hammond said, as he carefully nudged Ellie away from the sink and to the other side of the table where Alan was. On the way, she grabbed a bottled water.

"Now," Hammond said, setting the glasses on the kitchen counter, "I'll get right to the point. Um," he glanced toward them, "I like ya. Both of ya," he finished, as he rinsed out a glass.

Alan had unconsciously picked up a dremel that was on the table. As Ellie came around behind him, he briefly made eye contact with her, and then reached down and put it back. It seemed as though his main investor was now ready to reveal his reasons for being there, so he gave him his complete attention.

"I can tell instantly about people. It's a gift," Hammond said proudly, wiping the glass dry.

Alan sat on a nearby stool, while Ellie settled for leaning against the counter on their side of the table. When they were both content and still, Hammond continued in a serious manner.

"I own an island off the coast of Costa Rica," he presented, using his hands to accent his words, "I've leased it from the government and I've spent the last five years setting up a kind of biological preserve. Really spectacular. Spared no expense," he said with a hand gesture.

Alan and Ellie were silent, listening as Hammond's excitement level kept steadily rising.

"Make the one down I've got down in Kenya look like a petting zoo," Hammond announced proudly, waiting for the scientists to laugh.

After Hammond began to laugh, they uncomfortably joined in.

"And there's no doubt our attractions will drive kids out of their minds!" Hammond added.

"And what are those?" Alan asked, finally saying something.

Ellie leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Small versions of adults, honey."

She smiled, very proud and tickled with her little inside joke. Alan gave her one of his more unpleasant looks, as Hammond kept on talking, oblivious to what had been said.

"And not just kids. Everyone. We're going to open next year. That is if the lawyers don't kill me first," he explained as he watched Ellie reach back and put her water bottle on the table behind her, "I don't really care for lawyers. Do you?"

"Well, uh, we don't really know any," they answered in unison, although Alan was thinking back to the guy who cross-examined him in the Greg Diamond trial and slightly frowning.

"Well, I do I'm afraid," Hammond told them, still holding the champagne bottle, "There's a particular pebble in my shoe, represents my investors. Says they insist on outside opinions," he continued, emphasizing the word 'outside'.

"What kind of opinions?" Ellie asked, very curious.

"Well, your kind not to put to fine a point on it," Hammond answered, gesturing the champagne bottle toward her. "I mean, let's face it. In your particular field, you're the top minds." He turned away from them and began to pour the champagne into one of the glasses. "And if I could just persuade you to sign off on the park." After half-filling one glass, he grabbed another and turned back to face them. "You know, give it your endorsement, maybe even pen a wee testimonial, I could get back on shedual." After pronouncing 'schedule' in his own dialect, he corrected himself, Americanizing the term, "uh, schedule."

Ellie smiled in a pleasant way, "Why would they care what we think?"

Alan was more serious, "What kind of park is this?" He questioned.

Hammond smiled and handed him a drink. After a slight and well-placed pause, the white-haired man answered, "It's right up your alley." He still had their attention, so he went for the prize, "I'll tell you what. Why don't you come down, just the pair of ya, for the weekend?" He graciously handed a drink to Ellie, "I'd love to have an opinion of a paleobotonist, as well."

Ellie smiled at him and he gleefully chuckled.

"I've got a jet standing by at Choteau," he said, as he jumped backwards and raised himself up to the counter, using it as a place to sit.

"We're supposed to meet a guy from the EPA today," Ellie mentioned.

"Ah, yes. Mr. Robert Morris," Hammond reported.

"How do you know him?" Alan asked, vaguely suspicious.

"Bob has this habit of frolicking around and interrogating all of my colleagues. He really is quite a pest, I'd say," Hammond answered, chuckling.

Alan stared at the man. Any thoughts of a proper response were very far away, as he couldn't follow the older man's crazy humor and logic.

Hammond cleared his throat, "Anyway, you don't have to worry yourselves over Bob anymore."

"Why is that?" Ellie asked.

"I told him . . ." Hammond started, and then he glanced at Alan, ". . . that you had a death in the family."

"Death?" Alan wondered aloud.

"It seems your poor dear Aunt Diane has passed on," Hammond confessed with a sadness to his voice. Then his frown morphed into a smile, showing he was clearly proud of himself.

Ellie gave Alan a questionable look and he shook his head. Seconds later Alan responded to the lively older man, "I don't have an Aunt Diane."

"Oh, dear boy," Hammond sighed, placing his hand on Alan's shoulder, "I know that. You know that. But, you see . . . Bob Morris hasn't a clue."

Alan backed away and continued to shake his head.

"Mr. Hammond, I'm not sure what sort of game you're playing, but I really don't want to get into trouble with the EPA. I've never---"

"Oh, don't worry yourself about the EPA. As a government agency, they are pretty small potatoes," Hammond explained, cutting him off. He saw that they were staring at him strangely again, so he added, "Now if I was rescheduling meetings with the IRS, then you would have reason to be concerned," he joked.

The joke didn't go over very well, causing him to sigh deeply again and look down for a moment. Finally, Alan spoke, breaking the silence.

"So, you lied to . . . Bob . . . and then proceeded to reschedule the meeting without asking me?"

"You make it sound like some sort of crime, putting it that way," Hammond stated, slightly hurt by the accusation.

"If the shoe fits," Ellie observed.

"Ellie," Alan said softly, trying to put a stop to her wave of honesty that was certain to follow.

She frowned, showing that she wasn't happy about it, but then she settled on crossing her arms and keeping silent. Alan breathed a sigh of relief. This man was unusual, no doubts about that, but this was also the man responsible for allowing him to continue his digging summer after summer.

Alan thought about the other reasons why he shouldn't leave. There were just too many different things going on at once right now. He stood up.

"Look, I'm sorry, but this is impossible," Alan said, standing up and searching for a place to leave his champagne glass.

Ellie joined him, "Yeah, we're very busy."

"We just dug up a new skeleton," Alan said, trying his best to be polite about not wanting to leave Montana.

Hammond poured champagne into his own glass.

"I could compensate you, by fully funding your dig," he said, looking up with confidence.

"And this is a very unusual time---" Alan began to say, with Ellie saying something similar at the same time.

"For a further three years," Hammond said matter-of-factly.

Alan stood motionless, with the exception of his head turning slightly to the left, "Hmm . . ."

"Well, uh . . ." Ellie said softly, thinking about what the cheerful bearded man's last statement meant to them.

Hammond looked toward them, waiting for the answer that he knew was fast approaching. He was accustomed to getting his own way and this wasn't going to be an exception in his mind.

"Where's the plane?" Ellie said suddenly, trying not to be too overjoyed.

"Okay," Alan said with an equal amount of enthusiasm, nodding to Hammond.

Alan took a step forward and gently touched his glass against Hammond's, toasting the occasion. Then, he looked at Ellie with a smile from ear to ear. The older and wiser man smiled on, as the two scientists embraced and laughed in celebration.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Ellie stood next to the door of the trailer waiting for Alan to approach. John Hammond had left about an hour before, and they were to meet him in Choteau, Montana in four hours. Alan had been making phone calls, writing down helpful instructions for Carl Porter, and basically running around the dig site like a crazy person. If they hadn't found something so substantial in recent days, things would have been a lot easier for Alan to just up and leave quickly, but he wanted to make sure that the recently discovered raptors were going to be given the proper care. It was just in his nature. They probably shouldn't have really agreed to go, but Ellie knew the funding was always dangerously low. Hammond's generous offer just couldn't be refused at this point.

When she saw him, she propped the door open, to make way for the two suitcases he was carrying. He walked them out to the car and placed them in the trunk. Ellie began to follow him, but then remembered her glasses in the bedroom, so she went back inside.

Alan closed the trunk and then turned to talk to her.

"So, what do you think about . . ."

She wasn't there.

"Ellie?"

"What happened? Did she finally leave you? Good for her!" Rob said, walking up to him. Alan just stared at him, deciding that a response wasn't necessary. Rob shrugged, "So, Dr. Porter tells me that you guys are going on some exquisite weekend trip."

"Yes."

"That's not fair, you know! Why do you get to go on all the sun-filled vacations to unwind? To loosen up? To relax? To . . . uh . . . decompress?" Rob asked, raising an eyebrow in defiance.

"Because I'm the boss, Rob," he answered, trying very hard to ignore the last pointless comment.

"Well, then . . . isn't that a good point," Rob admitted, laughing and shaking his head, defeated.

"And besides, you might have been invited if you hadn't slept in," Alan reprimanded.

"I didn't sleep in. I was . . . I am," he corrected himself loudly, ". . . sick! I'm pretty sure I have the flu."

"Then why are you outside?"

"Because I'm a brave and dedicated worker, that's why."

"Oh, I see," Alan said, looking at him as if he didn't believe him.

Rob rolled his eyes and nodded. Of course Alan wouldn't buy that line of bull. Carl Porter maybe, but not Alan.

"Okay, well, I left my prescriptions here from yesterday. I needed to get them," he finally admitted. "Otherwise, I could die a horrible death."

"I'd love to stand here and talk to you all day . . . " Alan paused, "Actually, I wouldn't. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find Ellie so that we can get out of here."

"Fine, leave me here alone . . . with Carl and the tourists. I can take it," Rob said to his back, acting as if he were making a self-sacrifice of some sort.

Alan turned around.

"Good, cause that's what I'm going to do," he said, smiling.

Rob waved him off and laughed.

"I can see this isn't getting me anywhere, so I'll end with this . . . " Rob began.

Alan sighed, waiting for the long-winded speech that was sure to come from his longtime friend.

"Have fun and be careful."

"That's it?" Alan asked with a surprised shock on his face.

"Yep."

"Wow," Alan said softly.

"Hey, I'm sick. That's all I'm in the mood for. Unless you want me to go on?"

"Uh, no thanks. That was beautiful the way it was."

Rob smiled and walked toward his truck, jingling the prescription bottle in his hand.

"See you guys when you get back," he said as he continued to walk away.

"Yeah," Alan said.

Smiling, he walked back into the trailer in search of Ellie. As he walked through, Alan found her glasses sitting on the end table by the age-old couch. He picked them up and continued to look for her, finding her in the bedroom. She had obviously been searching for something, so he cleared his throat trying to grab her attention. She turned around and smiled at him, when she saw that he was holding up her glasses.

"Looking for something?" He asked.

"No. Not anymore," she said, as she took them from his hand and put them on.

She walked over to the other side of the bed, to turn the radio off, but then stopped as the next song began to play. It was "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles. The song had a deep meaning to her, as it was playing the first time she had almost kissed him, two summers ago. The song continued, as she looked toward Alan. It was obvious to her that he had made the song connection, too, just by the way he was looking at her.

"Have I told you lately that those glasses make you look very sexy and intelligent?" He asked, smiling.

"Not lately, no."

"Well, those glasses make---"

Ellie quickly reached for him, kissing him on the lips, instantly cutting off what he was saying. It would have been very easy to get caught up in the moment, but Alan forced his lips away from hers.

"We're going to be late."

Hammond had actually tried very hard to get them to accompany him right then and there, but Alan had nicely declined, since he needed to get things in order before going.

"Being fashionably late is looked upon as good now."

"Oh, I'm sure it is," he said, in a joking manner.

"It's the 90's, Alan. Catch up with the times."

She kissed him again, edging him ever so slightly toward the bed. She knew he was right and that they really should be going, but the passion of the moment overpowered her sensibility. She was pleased to see that he was having the same problem, as it was getting easier and easier to get him to move backward.

"Ellie, we really should---"

"For once, could you not be so sensible?" She asked.

Before he could say another word, she had gotten him all the way to the bed now and was gently pushing him onto it. Seconds later, she was kissing his neck and unbuttoning his shirt. He placed a hand under her chin and directed her awaiting lips to his and they passionately kissed once more. In the heat of the moment, it didn't take him long to realize that being irresponsible and shutting up was, in fact, a very good idea.

John Hammond could wait.

  
  
  


THE END

  


© 2003 Yvonne Bartha

  
  
  


_Author Note_: Well, if you made it this far . . . I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read the story. I enjoy to write very much, and it's always great when there are people willing to read what I write. So, thanks for the comments along the way! I really do appreciate it.

  


Also, I've got a few supplemental chapters planned for the near future. I'd like to take a closer look at Alan and Ellie's breakup, which happened sometime between the first and third Jurassic Park movies. And also, their impending marriage at some unnamed date in the future. So look for those as well!

  


Thanks again and please don't forget to comment. It only takes a second of your time and those few seconds have the opportunity to make this writer very happy. :)

  


-yvonne

  
  


"Alan & Ellie" written by Yvonne Bartha.

  


yjb@aol.com

  
  



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